Court Records
by Boo2020
Summary: A series of one-shots written by request and originally posted on Tumblr. Each chapter is a separate story based on a prompt. Mostly Phoenix/Maya, but pairings are stated at the beginning of each chapter so you can avoid any you dislike.
1. I'm Pregnant

**NOTE: I'm not accepting requests via FFN. I only accept requests on Tumblr and only when I specifically ask for them (ie. when prompts are open). My Tumblr username is also Boo2020, and it will say on the left side whether or not I'm currently accepting prompts.**

 **Pairings are stated at the beginning of each chapter, so you can avoid the ones you aren't interested in.**

 **Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: I'm Pregnant  
Word Count: 1,651**

* * *

"Congratulations, Miss Fey." The doctor looked up at her from the clipboard in his hands. "You are indeed pregnant."

Maya swallowed. She had known all along. She had morning sickness and her period was late, but the biggest indication of course was the positive pregnancy test she'd taken. Still, hearing it from the doctor and having it 100% confirmed was something else.

"Oh."

The doctor watched her expression closely. He looked down at his clipboard once more. "Miss Fey, it says here you're only 21 years old. I just want you to know that there are many _options_ available nowadays for young women in your situation, if you have any sort of apprehension about being a young mother. I'm not sure of your situation, so I'm just letting you know."

She moved her arm so it was covering her stomach protectively. She knew what he was hinting at. She shook her head. "I need to talk to the father first."

"Of course. We'll make a follow up appointment for next week."

She nodded and got up off of the patient bed. She went back into the main office to make another appointment with the receptionist, then headed outside to hail a taxi to take her back to the office.

The ride seemed excruciatingly long, even though it couldn't have taken more than ten minutes to get back to the office building where she worked. The whole time she could only think about how she would tell him. What would he think? She had no idea what to expect. She sighed and closed her eyes. They had been so _stupid_.

It was almost a month ago now that she and Phoenix slept together for the first and only time so far. They had gone out for dinner after winning their latest case, and maybe it was the atmosphere in the restaurant or the fact that they were both in a celebratory mood, but one of them — Maya didn't even remember who anymore — had kissed the other, and soon enough they were back at Phoenix's apartment, in his bed, frantically kissing and pulling off clothes. When they realized they had no protection Phoenix was ready to stop, but she wanted it so badly that she insisted anyway, and he was too turned on by then to protest further.

And afterwards, she didn't regret it. At least not until the next morning when Phoenix began acting weird and awkward around her, something that was never a problem with them before. She just wanted their old banter and easy conversations back, but thanks to this, things would surely get even worse between them.

She paid the taxi driver before climbing out of the taxi in front of the law office. Steeling herself, she entered the building and took the elevator up to their floor, entering the office that for the last five years had felt like a second home to her but now felt more like just her place of work. Phoenix was sitting at his desk, staring down at the papers in front of him but not doing anything with them. He looked up when she entered and smiled at her.

"Hey, I'm glad you're home!"

She closed the door. "You are?" With the way he was acting lately, she would have thought he'd be relishing the times that she wasn't around.

"Yeah. Listen, Maya, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"I need to tell you something too, Nick…"

"Let me go first, please?"

She nodded, willing to put off her news a little longer and curious to know what he was going to say. He got up and approached, taking her by the hand and pulling her down onto the couch with him. His touch surprised her. He hadn't touched her at all, not even casually, since that night.

"Maya, I want to apologize for how I've been acting lately. After we, you know-"

"Had sex?" she offered. "You can say it, Nick. We're adults."

He sighed. "I know, I'm sorry… That's the whole reason I wanted to talk to you. I haven't been mature about this at all, Maya. I just didn't know how to act around you after that night. Was I supposed to treat you like my girlfriend? Should I have just kept treating you like a friend as if it never happened?" He shook his head. "All of that just made me act plain old awkward with you. And I can only imagine how you felt. I'm really sorry. I should've just talked to you about it like a normal person."

"It's okay… I'm partly to blame after all. I never asked you to talk about it either. I never brought it up. So I'm sorry too."

He looked relieved. "I also wanted to tell you that, well, I don't regret it one bit, Maya. I haven't been intimate with anyone since Iris, or who I thought was Dahlia, and I wasn't sure I ever would be again because of how badly that relationship hurt me. But you're something else, you know?"

It was hard to keep herself from tearing up. All the worrying she had done, thinking he hated it or wanted her gone now that they had sullied their friendship with sex, disappeared. Then she remembered the baby. Would _that_ make him regret it? Did he even want children? He'd always been amazing with Pearl, but they'd never had a serious conversation about their future plans when it came to family, aside from Maya finally taking up her position as the head of the Fey clan.

She swallowed, the tears were now impossible to keep back and a few droplets slipped down her cheeks. Phoenix looked alarmed. "W-What's wrong, Maya? Why are you crying?"

"I have to give you my news now, Nick."

He took her hand again, squeezing it reassuringly. "What is it?"

"I've known for a while, but before telling you I had to go to the doctor to make sure. I just got back, and… and I'm _pregnant_ , Nick." More tears slipped down her cheeks as she waited for his reaction. His grip on her hand loosened ever so slightly, but she noticed it. She chanced a look at him to find that he was looking away from her, down and to the left, staring at the floor. The look on his face was hard to discern.

A sob burst out of her, finally forcing him to look back up at her. His hand gripped hers tight again. "Are you going to keep it?"

 _That_ was the first thing he was going to ask? He had nothing else to say? She looked at him, the hurt evident in her eyes even through the tears welling up in them and sliding down her cheeks. "Do _you_ want me to?"

"Yes." There was zero hesitation in his answer. He lifted a hand to wipe her tears away with a thumb. "It's your choice though, Maya. I can't force you into going through this if you really don't want to. I know you're younger than me, and you may not be ready—"

"No," she interrupted, a shaky smile finally gracing her lips. She placed her hand over the one he was touching her face with, turning her head slightly to kiss his palm. The tears were still coming, but they were tears of relief and happiness now. "I want to keep it, too." They had created this child together. It was part of her and part of Nick. Even if he didn't want anything to do with it, she couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to a baby she created with him.

He leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers. "I should have told you this a long time ago. I love you, Maya. I really do. I wasn't sure how to say it after that night. I didn't want you to think I was just saying it because of what we did. I knew well before that. I think I've always loved you in one way or another."

She couldn't stop the tears no matter how hard she tried. "I love you too, N-Nick."

He let out a short laugh. "I always pictured our romance being slower, maybe dating a bit at first, but…" He placed a hand over her abdomen, though she wasn't showing much yet. "It almost feels like it was meant to be this way."

She nodded, her fringe tickling his forehead. He closed the distance between them to press his lips against hers softly, tasting the salty flavor of her tears as they intermingled with their lips. When he pulled away, Maya managed a shaky smile.

"Hey, if it's a girl, do you maybe want to name her Mia?" he asked softly.

Maya sniffled. He was making it incredibly hard to dry her tears. He was so sweet, already thinking of names and picking the one that would honour someone they both cherished so much. She nodded furiously and let out a short laugh. "But what if it's a boy?"

"Phoenix Junior," he responded right away.

That did make Maya laugh. "No way."

"What?! Phoenix is an awesome name! I never understood why you and Larry insist on calling me Nick, that's so plain and normal!" She giggled, and he continued. "Come to think of it, Phoenix is kind of a unisex name. We can name our _second_ daughter after me."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him against her to rest her chin on his shoulder. "You're already planning on having a second daughter with me?" she whispered.

"Mm. Why not?"

"What did I do to deserve you, Nick?" she mumbled into his shoulder.

He rubbed circles into her back and turned his head to peck her cheek. "I think I should be asking what I did to deserve _you_. _Both_ of you."


	2. In Love and Terrified

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: "I Think I'm in Love With You and I'm Terrified"  
Word Count: 407

* * *

"You don't look like the regular pizza delivery guy."

Maya shrugged and held up the box of pizza, smiling as sweetly as she could manage. "I know you always order a pizza on Friday. I paid him downstairs so I had an excuse to come up here."

Phoenix did not look happy. He leaned out of the doorway to peer up and down the hallway, then grabbed her roughly by the wrist and dragged her into the apartment. "Why are you here, Maya?"

She wrenched her wrist from his grasp and dropped the pizza box on the coffee table. She turned back around to face him, her hands on her hips. "What's your problem lately, Nick? You never want me to come over anymore! You never come to Kurain, you don't even answer my calls! I have to stalk your pizza delivery guy for an excuse to come up to your apartment because otherwise you won't answer the door! Did I do something wrong?! Please, tell me, because it's really starting to bother me. I miss you, you know! _Pearly_ misses you!"

He huffed and walked to the window to look through the blinds. It made her even more frustrated. "NICK! _What_ are you looking for?! What's _wrong_ with you?"

He turned around to face her, after carefully making sure the windows were completely covered again. "Do you really want to know what the problem is, Maya?" he said.

" _Yes_! Please!"

"I think I'm in love with you, and I'm terrified."

Her breath caught in her throat. "W-What? What do you mean?"

He stepped forward and took her by the shoulders to stare down into her face. "I _love_ you, Maya."

She stared up at him, then reached up to cup his cheek, his stubble rough against her palm. "What's so scary about that?" she said, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"If _he_ found out the way I feel about you, I don't even know what he would do. I don't want to think about it. That's why you have to go, you can't be near me until this is figured out. You're safer in Kurain."

"I don't understand, Nick. Who are you talking about? Are you in some sort of danger?"

He sighed and took her hand to lead her to the couch where they sat down together. "There's a lot I haven't told you since I've been disbarred, Maya."


	3. Crack a Smile

Pairing: Larry/Franziska (non-cracky, too!)  
Prompt: "Have I entered an alternate universe or did you really just crack a smile for me?"  
Word Count: 526

* * *

"Welcome to my studio!"

Franziska's heels clack on the wooden floor as she steps inside, and she throws a look over her shoulder at the man with her. "This is no studio, Larry Butz. This is just your messy apartment."

Larry frowns. "Well, it's the best I've got, okay?"

"Hmph." She reaches down to wrap her hand around the handle of her whip, and Larry recoils.

"Hey, hey! I swear I didn't tell you that just to get you into my apartment! I really do need help with this book, Franzy. Trust me, I know this place isn't up to your standards. Even if I had tidied up a bit, it's nothing when compared to a classy lady like you," he says, beginning to throw empty beer cans and potato chip bags on the floor to clear off a chair for her.

Franziska only stares at him. She doesn't make any motion to sit down. "Tell me about this book you keep bothering me about," she says instead.

"Okay, I figure, you'd be a really good role model for little kids, right?" Larry says animatedly. He can't help it. Sure people like Nick and Edgey roll their eyes or laugh when he talks about becoming a picture book author, but it genuinely is something he wants to do. He likes art, and it's the only thing he can think of to honour his late mentor.

Franziska raises one of her perfect eyebrows. "How so?"

Larry tilts his head as if he doesn't understand her question. "Well, you're a strong woman and all that… You don't take anyone's shit, pardon my language. I think it's a good lesson for little kids, but girls especially, to stand up for themselves. I mean, you could maybe go about it in a less violent way—"

She grips the whip again and Larry stops that sentence in its tracks. "A-Anyways, I know you're all about perfection and I don't really think my art will measure up, but with your help we could at least make it as perfect as _possible_."

Franziska looks thoughtful. "Hm. I suppose that makes sense. You really believe I am a good role model for young girls?"

"Of course!" he says enthusiastically, and when he looks up he can swear he sees the hint of a smile on her face. And not the smug smirk she gets when she thinks she has the answer to something, but a genuine smile. "Have I entered an alternate universe or did you really just crack a smile for me?" he says, grinning at her.

As quickly as it appeared its gone, and Franziska has her whip in her hand lightning fast. She flicks it at him, eliciting a yelp from him when it cracks against his chest. He rubs the spot and pouts at her. "So… was that a yes, or a no?"

She wraps the whip up again and hangs it back on the holster on her hip. "I shall help you, Larry Butz. What will you have me do first?"

He grins and scrambles for his paints. "I think we should start off with the cover art first."


	4. Take It Off

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: "You heard me. Take. It. Off."  
Word Count: 575

* * *

Maya was often still awake when Phoenix finally made it to bed after working on a case well into the night. Sometimes she'd be reading or watching TV in his room, or — more rarely — waiting for him in some sort of sexy lingerie she bought and hadn't shown him yet. Those were some of his favourite nights.

This particular night he knew she was still awake before he even opened the bedroom door because he could see the light filtering out from under it, but he couldn't hear the TV, so he couldn't help getting his hopes up a bit that it was one of _those_ nights. It had been a few days since the last time they'd done anything but cuddle.

He entered the bedroom and almost had a heart attack. "Oh, Jesus Christ! What the hell?!"

"Language, Nick," Maya muttered quietly, before throwing her head back dramatically as she reclined back on her pillows. "Oh! Mine big strong Steel Samurai! Cometh savethlittle old me!"

"Good God, Maya," he said, cringing at her bad attempt at Middle English. Wasn't the Steel Samurai a show from Japan?

She harrumphed. "Nick, play along."

He stood in the doorway. "No. Not while you're wearing… that thing. Look, I play along with a lot of your weirdo roleplaying things in the bedroom, but not this."

He figured she might be pouting, not that he could tell what her facial expression was under the horrific Pink Princess mask she was wearing to go along with the rest of her _full_ Pink Princess cosplay outfit.

Phoenix loved her to bits and had always thought she could wear absolutely anything and make it look sexy, but this was just something he could not bear. It was actually quite terrifying.

"Maya, I can't take you seriously while you're wearing that, I mean it."

"Niiiiiiick!" She attempted once more at maneuvering into a sexy pose while wearing the bulky costume, rolling onto her side to hold herself up on her elbow, and sliding one of her legs up a bit. Unlike the regular Pink Princess, Maya wasn't wearing the white tights beneath the pink robes, and her shapely legs were in full view. The skirt was only _just_ hiding whatever panties she was wearing, if indeed she was wearing any… but it still did nothing to turn him on at all. The rest of the outfit, that terrifying mask, terrible pink wig, and those huge fake breasts were way too distracting for him to notice much else.

"No way. I'm not doing Steel Samurai roleplay with you."

She lifted the mask up and took a deep breath. She was sweating underneath of it and was clearly a bit relieved to have her mouth uncovered again so she could breathe properly, but she was still attempting to seduce him by smiling and giving him what she must have thought was a _come hither_ look, while gently caressing the mattress beside her.

"You heard me. Take. It. Off. Or you're not getting any tonight," he said.

She stuck her bottom lip out in a pout and got up off the bed. She came around the bed and stepped up to him, lifting her arms to wrap them around his neck. "Fine. But _you_ have to help me out of it, okay?"

He wrapped his arms around her waist and bent slightly to give her a quick kiss. " _That_ I'd be happy to do."


	5. I Almost Lost You

Note: I'm not taking requests via FFN review, so please don't review if you're just going to tell me to write a certain prompt or pairing. Thanks.

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: "I almost lost you." / "If you die, I'm gonna kill you."  
Word Count: 2,047

* * *

Phoenix always thought Maya was possibly the luckiest woman alive. Who else could say they'd been put on trial for murder with the death penalty hanging over their head _three_ different times, were kidnapped _twice,_ were attacked and then subsequently locked inside a frozen cave for two days with no food, water, or any way to make a fire, and made it out alive every single time? Only Maya Fey.

Which was why he refused to believe that something as common as a car accident would be what took her from him.

He tried not to think too much about the accident itself. It made him feel physically ill to think about Maya being struck by the car, breaking bones on impact and hitting her head, bleeding and unconscious on the pavement until help arrived. It also made him angry. The rational part of his mind knew it was a genuine accident; jaywalking was one illegal activity that Maya was always especially good at and it was easy to remember how she'd jumped out in front of Edgeworth's car not long ago, but he still couldn't help thinking that if only the driver had been watching more carefully or driving more slowly, they would have been able to avoid her.

And just sitting there made him feel helpless. Of course it was terrifying _every_ time Maya was put in danger, but at least he was able to _do_ something about it all those other times. He could occupy his time with trying to help her, but now all he could do was let the doctors do their work and sit by her bedside so that if —no, _when_ — she woke up, she would be greeted by a familiar face. That was, if she was able to recognize him through the bags under his eyes and the week's worth of unshaven stubble.

He hadn't gone home since finding out about the accident. Trucy brought him clean clothes, Apollo and Athena were taking care of the office and took turns visiting every day to bring food and flowers or a teddy bear or some other gift for Maya. Pearl was his constant companion for the first few days after the accident, but eventually Trucy convinced her to go back to the office with her to get some real rest, so she'd kissed Maya's forehead and told her to hang on and that she'd be back.

Phoenix stayed. When he wasn't sleeping propped up in the chair by her bedside he was watching her, looking for any signs of her waking, or any sign she could hear him when he spoke to her. He would touch her often, running his fingers over her hand or brushing them against her cheek, partially to see if she would respond but mostly just because he missed her casual touches. He used to roll his eyes when she would cling to his arm if something scared her or when she would hug him after he agreed to buy her burgers. Now he missed it. He missed it so bad it hurt.

* * *

After two weeks with little change in Maya's condition, Phoenix started to notice how the doctors were looking at him when they would come in to check on her, like they pitied him. Apollo and Athena stopped coming every day, and every time Trucy visited she tried to get him to go home with her. He knew it was bad of him to leave her on her own, but she was almost 18 now and she had Apollo. She could take care of herself. For now, Maya needed him. Pearl still visited every day, but she was always quiet when she did. She would usually brush Maya's hair or just simply sit and hold her hand, but she never stayed longer than an hour at a time before kissing Maya's cheek and hugging him and then leaving to go back to the office where she was currently staying.

It frustrated him that everyone seemed to be losing faith that Maya would wake up. He couldn't. He wouldn't allow himself to.

* * *

"Mr. Wright?"

Phoenix jerked awake and looked up into the curious face of one of the nurses on duty that night. He rubbed a hand over his face and sat up. "Is Maya okay?"

She nodded. "She's fine. Still no change though, unfortunately."

"Alright. Am I in your way?"

"No, it's okay." She turned away from his gaze to look at Maya again. "I'm sorry, but the doctor wanted me to ask you to go home."

"No." His response was immediate. He couldn't leave her. What if something happened?

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wright. The doctor said we've been more than accommodating especially given the fact that you're technically not family, but you're going to have to start coming only during regular visiting hours." She looked at him, and must have noticed the grief stricken look on his face. Her own look softened, and she laid a hand on his arm. "You'll be the first person we call if there's any change in her condition, I promise. I know you love her, but we'll take care of her."

He didn't even bother denying it, just looked back towards Maya. She was getting thinner, but her hair where it had been shaved for stitches was beginning to grow back and the wound was healing nicely; she didn't even have to wear the bandages anymore. Her body was healing, yet it refused to wake up.

He sighed and looked back at the nurse. "Okay… but can I have a minute first?"

"Sure."

She left the room and shut the door quietly behind her. As soon as she was gone, Phoenix turned back to Maya and leaned over to her. "Maya, if you're going to wake up, now is the time. Please. They're making me leave…"

She didn't stir. He didn't expect her to, not really. He lifted a hand to his face to wipe away an escaped tear, but found more and more were sliding down his cheeks, making it impossible for him to swipe them all away. He realized he didn't really care, and let them fall.

He reached forward to brush a piece of her hair out of her face and then took her hand in both of his. "Please, Maya. If you wake up, I'll buy you as many burgers as you want. I'll watch every episode of Steel Samurai and Plumed Punisher with you. I'll do anything you want." He took a breath. "If you don't wake up… If you _die_ … I'm gonna kill you. I'll get Pearls to channel you just so I can… so I can… tell you how much I loved you," he choked back a sob and put his head down, resting his forehead against the top of her hand. "If you die before I get to tell you that, I'll never forgive myself for not saying it sooner. I should have said it after the Engarde case all those years ago. I should have said it after Hazakura Temple, or before you left for Khura'in, but I couldn't. Even if you don't feel the same, I need you to know. So please come back to us soon."

He heard the door squeak open behind him, but didn't look up until he heard the soft clearing of a throat. "Mr. Wright…"

He took one more deep, shaky breath, wiped at his eyes, and stood up, then leaned over to place a kiss on Maya's forehead. "I'll be back, Maya. First thing tomorrow."

He turned around to face the nurse. She could probably tell he'd just been crying a few seconds ago, but for now he'd managed to control his tears. "Call me if anything happens, please, I don't care what time it is. I doubt I'll be sleeping much anyway."

The nurse nodded. "Of course."

* * *

She hadn't had such a nice dream in a very, very long time. In fact, she hadn't had a dream about Nick since she was much younger. She was Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique now. She had responsibilities, she had to be mature. Silly schoolgirl crushes on your best friend were not appropriate for Maya Fey: Master of Kurain Village.

But this dream was so vivid and so blissful, she didn't want to wake up. She could feel him touching her hand, running his thumb over the top of it over and over, and she could hear him murmuring something quietly. She strained to hear him more clearly. He seemed to be mumbling something about taking her out for burgers and watching Steel Samurai. It really was all she could ask for in a dream.

At least, she thought it was. Then she heard him say something else, much more clearly than before. That he… loved her? Loved? Past tense. Why past tense? This was supposed to be a _good_ dream.

She tried to say something, to tell him she loved him too, and that she always had, but she couldn't get the words out. She couldn't hear him anymore either, and then the warmth of his hand was gone too. That made her sad, until she felt something else, pressing against her forehead quickly. She realized only once the feeling was gone that he'd _kissed_ her.

He couldn't leave now. Not after that. She had to get him to stay somehow. She tried saying his name, but it was too quiet, so she tried again, and this time it was a little louder than before.

* * *

"…Nick?"

At first Phoenix thought he was just imagining it. It was just wishful thinking. But when he saw the wide eyed look on the nurse's face, he realized he _wasn't_ imagining it.

He turned back around to see Maya's eyes fluttering as she mumbled out his name again. He stepped back over to her bed and grabbed her hand. "Maya?! Maya? Are you awake?" She groaned and squeezed her eyes shut even tighter. He squeezed her hand comfortingly. "Maya, please open your eyes."

He waited, and just when he thought she had fallen back to sleep, her eyes fluttered again, and she finally managed to open them a crack. She squinted up at him, a look of confusion on her face.

"Nick?"

"I'll go tell the doctor she's awake," the nurse said before quickly heading down the hall.

Phoenix sat back down in the chair at Maya's bedside, never once letting go of her hand. "Maya? Do you remember anything?"

"Mmm… no… Where am I?"

"The hospital. You were hit by a car. You hit your head, and you've been in a coma for the past two weeks. We were really starting to worry."

Her eyes widened, giving her a slightly amazed expression. "Whoa. A car hit me? No wonder everything hurts." He smiled at her. Trust Maya to lighten the mood after just waking up from a two week long coma. She stared up at him. "Nick. You're crying. Did you miss me that much?"

He closed his eyes and lifted her hand to press his cheek against it. "I'm sorry. I almost lost you, Maya. I'm just really happy you're okay."

She smiled gently at him. "You _really_ need to shave."

He laughed. "I know, I'm sorry."

He laid their hands back on the bed. "Nick, before I woke up, I was having the best dream."

"What was it about?"

"You."

"Huh?"

She closed her eyes. She was getting tired again. "You were saying that you were going to buy me all the burgers I wanted, and that you'd watch all of Plumed Punisher with me."

He swallowed. "What else did I say?"

"Some other stuff."

"What other stuff?" He could tell she was drifting off again, but he had to know. How much had she heard? "Maya? What else did I say?"

"Mm? Don't remember."

He sighed. "Alright. Get some more rest. The doctor is coming to take a look at you, and I'll call Pearls and everyone else."

"Okay," she mumbled. "Night Nick." Then she was gone, back to dreamland.

At least now he knew she would wake up again, and once she was fully healed and able to go home, he would tell her about the rest of her dream.


	6. Think You Could Do Better?

Note: I'm not taking requests via FFN review, so please don't review if you're just going to tell me to write a certain prompt or pairing. Thanks.

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: "You think you could do better?"  
Word Count: 583

* * *

Maya is not very good at video games, Phoenix muses as he watches her lean forward in concentration, the controller of the old 90s game system she found in his room clutched in her hand. Her tongue is poking out the side of her mouth a bit, but as hard as she's concentrating, she doesn't make it even halfway through the latest level of the old platform game she's playing before she falls into a pit and gets a game over screen.

She's seated on the floor in front of the couch, and starts stomping her feet in frustration as she throws herself back against the couch. "These games are impossible," she whines to herself.

Phoenix can't help the soft laugh that escapes his lips, and she looks up at him with her eyebrows raised. "What?

"These games aren't impossible. You're just… not very good at it," he says, snickering a little.

She quickly turns away and crosses her arms over her chest, leaving the controller forgotten in her lap. She huffs. "You think you could do better? I bet not."

"How much do you want to bet? I was a pro at these games when I was a kid."

She eyes him. "You don't even know how to change the ringtone on your phone, Nick."

"Give it here," he says, sliding to the floor to sit beside her. "I'll show you how it's done."

She hands the controller over, a smirk playing on her lips. "If you get a game over, you owe me burgers."

He nods his consent, but smiles at her. "And what if I _beat_ the level?"

"Hmm," she taps her chin in thought. "Well you get to have the pleasure of taking me out for burgers, of course."

"Please. We both know you'll con me into doing that either way." She grins playfully at him. He's not wrong. The game starts again, and she's surprised to see that he actually _is_ pretty good at it. "So what's it gonna be, Maya?" he says as he nears the flag at the end of the level. "Seems I'm gonna win this one."

"Hmmmmm," she's watching the screen carefully, and just as he nears the last pitfall trap in the before the flag at the end of the level, she 'accidentally' bumps his shoulder with hers. He misses the jump, and lands directly in the pit, prompting a game over screen. "Oops! Looks like you lost. Burgers for me."

"Mayaaaa!" he sets the controller down and lunges at her, pressing her down into the floor underneath of him. He reaches for her waist where he knows for a fact she's particularly ticklish.

She shrieks and starts to laugh hysterically, pounding on his chest. "Stop it, Nick! Stop it! I'll pee if you don't!"

He pulls a face and sits up again. "Maya, that's gross." He holds out a hand and she takes it, so he can pull her back into her sitting position.

She giggles and picks up the controller to hand it back to him. "Here. Best two out of three. If you get past two levels, _I'll_ buy the burgers tonight."

"Really?"

"Really! But only if you beat two in a row."

"Oh, I've got this."

He leans forward to concentrate again, and not even an hour later Maya is keeping her side of the bet and shelling over money for burgers at the burger joint down the road from the office. A deal is a deal after all.


	7. Too Damn Cute

Note: I'm not taking requests via FFN review, so please don't review if you're just going to tell me to write a certain prompt or pairing. Thanks.

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: "You're too damn cute" and "Your hands are so much larger than mine".  
Word Count: 730

* * *

"Ouch!"

Maya grabs a dish cloth and wraps it around her finger to staunch the slow flow of blood, hoping that Phoenix doesn't come running at the sound of her distress. It's just a tiny cut, nothing that won't mend itself, and she doesn't want to bother him while he's working.

But then he's there anyway, in the doorway to the small kitchenette in the back of the office. "What's wrong, Maya?" He looks so worried, it would be flattering how much he cares, if it wasn't so embarrassing that she somehow managed to cut herself while pretending to be an expert TV chef swiftly chopping a tomato.

"I just nicked myself with the knife…" she says, trying to play it off.

"Let me see. Was it a bad cut?" She unwraps the cloth from her finger and holds it out for him. It's still bleeding a bit, and it'll probably be sore, but it isn't too bad. "Ah, I think you'll be fine, but we should probably disinfect it. Stay here, I'll be right back."

She stands awkwardly in the kitchen to wait for him, feeling a bit like a child. She could have done it herself, but he's been so protective lately, ever since Hazakura. He's practically at her beck and call. Normally she would have loved that, but now she's starting to feel like a bother.

He finally comes back with a box of band-aids, a bottle of peroxide, and an antibiotic cream, and sets them down at the small table in the room. He gestures for her to sit, which she does, and he pulls up his chair in front of her.

"Nick, I'm not gonna die from a cut," she protests as he takes her hand in one of his and starts dabbing at the cut with a cotton ball that's wet with peroxide. She hisses when it stings, but he just smiles at her and starts to spread some of the cream on it.

"You should be more careful," he says as he wraps the band-aid around her finger.

When it's finished, he doesn't let go of her hand right away. She doesn't mind, it's nice really, but she doesn't know what to say. Is she even supposed to say something at moments like this? She feels like maybe she shouldn't, the moment is tender and quiet and _nice_ , but her mind is screaming at her to say something to break the silence.

"Your hands are so much larger than mine," she blurts out.

He looks up at her and raises an eyebrow. "Yeah, I guess? Is that an insult or...?"

"No, just... an observation. I never noticed before. Look." She raises her hand and presses her palm against his. The tips of her fingers just barely reach the first knuckle of his.

"Sorry I don't have pretty lady hands like Edgeworth," he says.

She giggles. "Don't be mean to Mr. Edgeworth, Nick." She takes her hand away and drops it to the table. "Thanks for the band-aid."

"No problem. I think you're good to go. Just be more careful with the knives, maybe?"

She puffs out her cheeks. "Yeah, yeah. Sorry." She glances at him as he gathers up the medical supplies. "Hey, Nick?"

"Hm?"

"Will you take me out for food instead? I don't really feel like having a sandwich now."

"No way," he says. "Your injury isn't so awful that you suddenly can't use your hands to make your sandwich."

She pouted at him. "Pleaaase? The knife seems so _scary_ now."

He looks skeptically at her. "Suuure it does."

She pushes her bottom lip out even further, maximizing her pout. "Niiiick."

He sighs. She knows that sigh. It's the 'I've given up and Maya is going to get what she wants' sigh. "You're too damn cute, you know that?" he mumbles.

"H-huh?!" She certainly wasn't expecting that. His usual complaints, sure, but that? "What do you mean?"

He starts heading towards the door. "Nothing. It was just an _observation_. Come on, let's go get some food."

She grins and runs after him, boldly taking his hand in her good one once they're in the hallway outside the office. He doesn't pull away, and she swings their hands between them happily. "Let's get ramen today, instead of burgers."

He sighs that same sigh again. "Whatever you want, Maya."


	8. When You're Happy I'm Happy

Note: I'm not taking requests via FFN review, so please don't review if you're just going to tell me to write a certain prompt or pairing. Thanks.

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: "When you're happy, I'm happy."  
Word Count: 1,694

* * *

"When you're happy, I'm happy."

The first time he said it was just a few days after her sister's death. He was more like her guardian then, her rock when she didn't know who else to turn to, and when he asked her if she really wanted to stay in the city to be his assistant, or if she would rather go home, all she could say was "I'm happy here", and his reply was simply "well, when you're happy, I'm happy".

The second time he said it was the night after the Engarde trial. She was safe again, and Pearl had booked that hotel room for them. They used it. Just two friends hanging out and drinking from the mini-fridge in the room despite her age and his initial protests, but nothing more nefarious than that. At some point, she drunkenly blurted out how happy she was to be back, and he responded with a smile and a "when you're happy, I'm happy".

The third time he said it they were at Gatewater Land, almost a month after everything that happened at Hazakura Temple. She was good at hiding the pain she was feeling — she had to be strong for Pearl — but he seemed to know how she really felt, and he did everything he could to lift her spirits. The outing that day had been just what she needed, and she told him so while they waited for Pearl to get off one of the kiddy rides. His response? "I'm glad. When you're happy, I'm happy."

The fourth time he said it, it led to an argument. Their first that wasn't about something trivial like whether or not to get burgers for dinner. It was almost a week after he was disbarred for forging evidence. When she visited after he called to tell her, he seemed too unfazed by the fact that he just lost his livelihood, something he loved and was good at. When he shrugged and told her it didn't matter, that he was happy so long as she was so she should probably go back to Kurain to live her life and forget about him, she couldn't help tearing up and telling him that she _wasn't_ happy. That had upset him, he asked her what being sad about it would accomplish? It didn't matter anymore. She left that night feeling frustrated. Why didn't he care? She knew he didn't forge that evidence, that someone set him up to take the fall, so why didn't he care?

He didn't say it again for seven years, and they never spoke about that argument again. Pearl still visited him regularly, but the two of them drifted. She was focused on her training, and he had a daughter to take care of. They exchanged letters and phone calls, and she would visit him maybe once a year, but he never told her much of what was happening in his life. She missed hanging out with him, and standing by his side in court. She just missed being in his presence, but she had to resign herself to the idea that they might never be as close as they once were.

The fifth time he said it, it was bittersweet. She decided to visit after he called to tell her that he finally cleared his name. Seven years later and he'd cleared his name of the forgery charges, and there was no more threat to her. He was going to take the Bar exam again, he'd decided. He wanted to see her, and she was more than happy to drop her training to go to him. She had her own news to give him anyway, and it would be better to say in person.

When she stepped off the train that day, she almost didn't recognize him. She had gotten used to his rougher appearance, and she was looking for the sweater and the beanie hat he always seemed to be wearing when she visited. When she finally did spot him, it was like being transported back to 2016. He was back in a blue suit (though nicer and better fitting than his old one), he was clean shaven, and there was no beanie in sight. He was almost 34 but he hardly looked any different than when she met him at 24.

The smile she received when he saw her and the hug they exchanged made her heart skip a beat. She'd missed him more than she even realized. They left the train station to go out for lunch, then headed back to the office where she got to gush over how pretty his daughter had become since she last saw her, and meet the new junior attorney that was responsible for helping clear his name.

She stayed late that night. They caught up. So much had happened, so much he hadn't told her. And he wanted to hear about her too, about how her training was going, whether or not she had become the Master yet. That was when she told him her news. She had one last leg of training before she could officially take the title, and she would be out of the country and halfway across the world for two whole years. She wouldn't be able to see him at all, and even phone calls would be limited. They would have to go back to exchanging letters again.

He seemed disappointed, but he had to ask her a question. Did she want to go? Was this something she really wanted to do? Was she _happy_? When she nodded her affirmation that she was indeed happy and that she wanted to go so that she could finally become Master, he smiled softly at her. "Then that's all that matters. When you're happy, I'm happy."

She felt tears spring to her eyes at his words. It had been so long. She missed him so terribly and now that he'd cleared his name and they could finally see each other again, she had to leave the country for two whole years. It wasn't fair.

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against his chest, and they stayed like that until her tears subsided. When she pulled away, she brushed at the wet mark she'd left on his shirt and apologized for the waterworks. He said nothing, just placed a finger under her chin to raise her face to his. She met his eyes, saw him glance down at her lips, and waited as he inched closer to her. Her eyes fell closed a second before he pressed his lips to hers tenderly. She found herself running her thumbs along his now smooth jawline to entangle her fingers in his hair, and when he broke the kiss, she immediately pulled him back for more.

She stayed the night. And the next night too. She made as many excuses as she could to stay in the city until the day she had to be at the airport to leave. And when the day finally came, he was there to say goodbye to her. He told her he'd wait for her, if that's what she wanted. And she did.

"I'm happy" and "when you're happy, I'm happy" became their way of saying I love you. Any time she wanted to convey to him how she felt over the phone or in a letter, she would simply say how happy she was, or write "Happily yours" instead of "Sincerely" or "Yours truly" at the end of her letters, and he would reply in kind. Eventually, she lost track of how many times he'd said it.

When she finally finished her training and came home, he didn't wait long to ask her to marry him. He said those words again after she cried her tearful yes and as they hugged, whispered into his ear how happy she was. The words were a part of their personal vows in their wedding. No one in the audience seemed to understand why they smiled more at that than anything else, but they knew. She said it again in the taxi to the airport the next day to go away for their honeymoon. He insisted on somewhere warm, and she had spent so long training under freezing waterfalls that she was inclined to agree.

* * *

"Well? How do I look?" she says as she steps outside the bathroom door and twirls in a circle. She would never be as busty as her sister was, but she's happy with her appearance nowadays. He looks up at her from where he's sitting on the bed, waiting for her. His eyes fall on her and she grins. "Oh, you like it, I can tell."

"Well, what's not to like?" he says. Her bikini is solid purple, and she has a white sarong wrapped around her waist for their trip to the beach. She wants to leave the room to enjoy the sun at least _once_ during their honeymoon.

She saunters over to stand in front of him and wraps her arms around his neck as he wraps his around her waist. She giggles when he pulls her onto the bed with him, and sinks into the fluffy comforter. She rolls onto her side to look at him. "We should get going. Don't want to get _distracted_ again, and this is our last day here. I want to go to the beach!"

"Mmm. I'd rather stay in the room with you," he mumbles. He wraps an arm around her and pulls her close to him, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. His embrace is so comforting and lovely that she finds herself for once unable to continue pestering him. Instead she closes her eyes and wraps her own arm around him.

"You know how happy I am, right Maya?" he asks softly. "Happier than I've ever been in my life."

She smiles and hugs him tighter, cuddling in as close as she can. "I'm glad, Nick." She looks up at him with a knowing smile. "Because when you're happy, I'm happy."

He smiles back at her. "Hey, that's my line."


	9. They'll Hear Us

Note: I'm not taking requests via FFN review, so please don't review if you're just going to tell me to write a certain prompt or pairing. Thanks.

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: "Ssh, they'll hear us."  
Word Count: 1,010

* * *

Maya woke in the morning to find the other side of the bed empty as usual. It wasn't uncommon anymore for this to happen. Phoenix used to sleep in until the last minute, but ever since six months ago, he was almost always awake before her. It never alarmed or worried her though. She knew exactly where he was.

She yawned and got out of bed, found her robe hanging on a hook on the back of the door and slipped it on, then headed down the hall towards the kitchen. She always passed by the other bedrooms as she made her way through the house. Trucy's was closed, a little dry erase board was hung on the outside with a picture of a magician's hat someone had doodled on it, probably Phoenix. Pearl's was closed too, but only because her room was empty. When she turned 20 she decided to move back to Kurain Village to live in and take care of Fey Manor, since Maya hadn't lived there for close to a year now.

The last bedroom she passed by always had the door ajar so she could peek in and say good morning. That's where she found Phoenix almost every morning without fail. That morning she found herself entering the room instead of simply peeking in and whispering her greeting before going to the kitchen to make breakfast while enjoying the peace and quiet.

She was quiet as she padded across the floor to where he was sitting in the rocking chair they found at a yard sale. She touched his shoulder gently when she reached him, and he looked up at her. She smiled softly at him. "Hey."

He smiled back. "Hi."

"You look tired," she said, her voice hardly above a whisper.

He shrugged, and his voice was just as quiet as hers when he spoke. "I've been awake a few hours. I thought I heard something on the monitor so I had to come check. Then I just sort of sat here… watching them."

Maya turned towards the two cribs in front of him to look at their sleeping babies. They were both so tiny still, only six months old, but each with a full head of jet black hair already. They were twins, one boy and one girl, and they were both still fast asleep and blissfully quiet.

"They're so perfect, I sometimes still can't believe they're ours," he said. "That _we_ made them."

She had to stifle a small laugh. "Yeah, we did. They're definitely ours, Nick. Are you doubting their parentage? I really don't know who else they could have gotten that spiky hair from," she said, petting his hair for emphasis.

He rolled his eyes at her. "Of course not. I mean, they have your eyes."

"And your nose." She didn't even need to look closely at them to know. They'd gone through this conversation a thousand times. They never got tired of it.

She moved to sit in his lap, and he wrapped his arms around her waist to steady her. The rocking chair creaked loudly and Phoenix tensed. "Ssh, they'll hear us, Maya. Actually, I really don't think this chair can hold us both, it's pretty old."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in to rest her head on his shoulder. She was still so tired, she had no idea how he could wake up so early every morning. She woke up three times a night to hungry, crying babies, and he was always right there with her, refusing to let her take care of them on her own simply because she was the one with the food. Yet he still managed to wake up before her in the morning, just so he could come in here to check on them and watch them sleep for a little bit.

They were quiet for a few minutes. The chair was still rocking slightly from the movement and Maya found herself drifting off again from the soothing motion, feeling a bit like a baby herself.

"They're just… so cute, Maya," Phoenix gushed into her ear. She smiled sleepily. He'd always been an amazing father and father figure to Trucy and Pearl, but they were older when he met them. Before theirs were born, Maya never had the chance to really observe him with an actual baby and she'd often wondered if it would be as cute as she thought it would be.

It definitely was. She got as much joy out of watching him with them as she did interacting with them herself. He was so attentive, so loving. She couldn't ask for anyone better to be the father of her children.

"Well, what do you expect?" she mumbled. "I am their mother after all."

He snorted. "Right. Hey, are you falling asleep? You're not the baby here, Maya."

She groaned and sat up, maneuvering herself so she could stand up again. "Since they're still asleep, I'm gonna go back to bed for another hour. I'm so tired," she said, stifling a yawn behind her hand.

"I'll come with you." He stood up as well. "I could do with a few more z's." She watched him lean down towards the cribs, being careful not to touch them and risk jostling the kids. "Mommy and daddy will be back later," he whispered. "We love you."

One of the babies moved a bit, curling their tiny hand into a fist, but other than that they were still. He stood back up and took Maya by the hand to follow her from the room.

"Ugh, I can't wait to get back into that bed," she said.

They entered the room together and Maya immediately flopped down onto the bed, not even removing her robe first. Phoenix crawled in beside her and wrapped an arm around her waist. There was nothing but the sound of their breathing and the quiet ticking of a clock in the room for all of five minutes.

Then the twins began to cry for their breakfast.


	10. You're Embarrassing Me

Note: I'm not taking requests via FFN review, so please don't review if you're just going to tell me to write a certain prompt or pairing. Thanks.

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: "Stop it. You're embarrassing me."  
Word Count: 1,410

* * *

"Come on, Jinxie. My dad is out on a date so we'll have the whole office to ourselves!" Trucy said as her friend followed her up the stairs to the office. "Thanks for helping me with my project, by the way!"

"You're welcome, Trucy," Jinxie smiled, then looked puzzled. "Hey, since when does your dad have a girlfriend?" she asked. "I never knew that."

"She's a really old friend of his, they've known each other for forever, but they just recently told me that they've started 'seeing each other intimately'. Their words." She rolled her eyes. "As if I don't remember all the times she stayed the night while my dad was disbarred. They always thought I was asleep. Thank _God_ I never heard anything weird…" she shuddered.

Jinxie snickered. "Do _you_ like her?"

Trucy nodded. "Oh yeah, Maya's cool. I really don't know how my dork of a dad ended up with her. I've known her since my dad adopted me, they were good friends before he met me. She was always sort of like a cool aunt, and her cousin Pearl is like a sister to me. You'd probably like her too, Jinxie. She's a spirit medium!"

Jinxie stiffened and her hand immediately reached for her bag where she kept her warding charms. "A spirit medium? Like, she can summon demons?"

"Pfft, no. Nothing like that. I don't really get it myself." She shrugged. "But don't worry, she can't summon demons."

They made it to the hallway and Trucy ran her hand along the wall as they walked down it, knocking a tune into it as she went and probably annoying all the neighbours. Jinxie followed behind her timidly. When they reached the door with the Wright Anything Agency sign, she stopped. "Well, here we are! I'll make sure to clean off a spot on the table so we have plenty of room to work."

* * *

This wasn't exactly how Maya pictured her date night going, but what else were you supposed to do when your movie was cancelled because of a malfunctioning projector? She was a little angry to be honest, she'd really been looking forward to that movie, but at least they got their money back plus two vouchers for a free movie the next time they could go, so it wasn't all bad. Besides, this was fun too.

She tilted her head back further to give Phoenix more room as he kissed along the curve of her shoulder, his lips gliding across her skin lightly, tickling her. His waistcoat was already undone and her fingers were beginning to work on the buttons of his shirt when she heard a quick _bump bump bump_ from the hallway.

She stopped and pushed on his chest to put some distance between them. "Nick, I think I heard someone outside."

He closed the gap between them again to kiss her. "It's fine," he spoke against her lips, moving down her neck again. "Trucy said she'd be out with Jinxie all day," he said, planting quick kisses along her collarbone now. "Athena and Apollo have no cases... we're all alone here."

She couldn't help letting out a contented moan as she started to enjoy the attention he was lavishing on her. Then she heard muffled voices out in the hall. She pushed on his chest again and he gave her an annoyed look. He was certainly being pushy today, but she wasn't about to be walked in on, so she gave him a look right back. "I heard someone in the hall, I'm sure of it."

"I told you, Trucy's out for the day. Besides, the door is locked, so no clients are going to come in."

She kept her hands planted firmly on his chest. "You know just because our movie was cancelled doesn't mean we can't go do something else. At least something more romantic than making out on the couch like a couple of horny teenagers."

He gave her his best puppy dog eyes. "But I don't want to do something else."

She sighed, but those eyes of his were always rather effective, and the hand slowly making its way under her robes and up her thigh _was_ getting her a bit excited now. She listened closely but couldn't hear anything else, so she laid back again and smiled at him. "Oh, fine."

* * *

Trucy turned her key in the lock while still quietly speaking to Jinxie about the school project she had to work on. It paid to have a friend living in a historical location that didn't go to the same school as you. Jinxie was more than happy to help her with information about Nine-Tails Vale for it

"So I was thinking I could make a PowerPoint or something," she said, pushing the door open. "Are you good with computers...Jinx...ie..." she trailed off as she noticed that someone was in the office after all, and once she registered what she was seeing, she couldn't help letting out a cry of dismay.

Maya had never moved so fast in her life. She shoved Phoenix away, who was still caught up in what he was doing and looking very confused over the strange shriek he'd just heard. Maya never sounded like _that_ before, and he was hardly touching her! She'd been humming in pleasure a moment ago.

She shoved his hand away, thanking all the spirits in Kurain that neither of them were fully undressed, but she did still have to situate her robes to cover her legs better. Phoenix's brain finally seemed to be catching up with the rest of him a bit, but not fast enough, so Maya smacked him. "Nick! Get off me!"

He scrambled off of her and took a moment to rearrange his shirt and tie before turning around to face Trucy.

"Oh God," he heard Trucy say in disbelief. The last thing she ever wanted to see was her dad and his girlfriend making out on the office couch where clients sat, never mind noticing _just_ how far his hand had been up Maya's robes. She was definitely scarred for life. "Daddy! You said you'd be out!" she shouted.

Maya couldn't even look Trucy in the eye, much less the friend she had with her, who was standing behind Trucy, looking even more embarrassed than anyone else.

"You said you'd be out too, Trucy!" Phoenix said defensively.

"No no no!" she shook her head vehemently. "I said I'd be working on a project with Jinxie. Here! In the office!" She groaned. "That is so gross. You know clients sit there! We have to wash these couches now!"

"Oh, we didn't get _that_ far," Phoenix said, rolling his eyes at his daughter's theatrics. "But you _are_ lucky you didn't get here any later. It could've been worse."

"Ugh! Stop it! You're embarrassing me in front of Jinxie!"

He shrugged. "You took sex ed in school, and we had _the talk_ , right?"

"Yeah, that was the most embarrassing conversation of my life, up until _now_ at least," she huffed.

He slung an arm over Maya's shoulders. "So you know what two people who love each other do."

"EW! DAD! I don't want to hear this from you!" Trucy grabbed Jinxie's wrist and yanked on her. "Let's go, Jinxie."

"Uh, alright," she said. She looked over at Phoenix and Maya. "Um... good to see you again, Mr. Wright…"

"You too, Jinxie!"

Trucy tugged harder. "Don't talk to him, Jinxie!"

When they were gone upstairs, Maya smacked Phoenix on the shoulder and he recoiled. "What?!"

"You didn't need to embarrass her further. It was already bad enough for all of us!"

"Believe me, I know."

"So _that_ was your attempt at making it _less_ awkward?" she said, standing up and making sure her robes were completely in order. "Next time, just don't say anything."

"Sorry. I'll apologize later. You know I'm a talker when I get embarrassed, I always end up making things worse."

She smirked. "Yeah, I've watched you in court enough times to know that. Next time we can just take the extra minute to get to your room first. No more couch make outs for us."

"Aw, this couch has seen some good times," he said, caressing the red leather.

She couldn't hide her smile. "It certainly has. Trucy's probably not wrong about it needing a good wash."

He laughed. "Maybe I should just invest in a new couch altogether."


	11. Were You Crying?

**NOTE: I'm not taking requests via FFN review, so please don't review if you're just going to tell me to write a certain prompt or pairing. Thanks.**

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: "Your eyes are red… Were you crying?"  
Word Count: 2,229

* * *

Pearl yawned as she made her way from the extra bedroom in Mr. Nick's apartment and down the hall to the kitchen for a glass of water. She and Mystic Maya shared a bed whenever they stayed the night at his apartment since there was only one extra bedroom, and since Mystic Maya wasn't already in bed when she woke up, Pearl knew that her cousin was probably still in the living room with Mr. Nick, watching TV.

Pearl smiled as she imagined them cuddling on the couch together. They would deny ever doing such a thing, but she had seen them, just the other night in fact. The sight of Mystic Maya in Mr. Nick's arms, her head buried in his chest and her hands bunched into his shirt still made Pearl sigh; it was so obvious they were in love. She had quickly and quietly slipped back to her room that night to give them some privacy, but it took a lot of her self control not to burst in and demand they admit their love to each other right then and there.

She was secretly hoping to catch another glimpse of something similar as she headed for her glass of water, but she didn't make it even halfway down the hall when she stopped dead in her tracks, right outside Mr. Nick's bedroom door. She could hear muffled voices, one very low and clearly male, the other a quiet female voice.

Mr. Nick and Mystic Maya weren't in the living room on the couch anymore. They were in Mr. Nick's bedroom. Mystic Maya was in Mr. Nick's _bedroom_ with him. That had to mean she was sleeping in his bed with him, just like Pearl knew real couples were supposed to! Soon enough they'd be getting married and having babies. Pearl blushed at the thought. Oh, she couldn't wait to be a big cousin to all the beautiful little children they were bound to have.

When she recovered from her inner gushing, she took a quiet step closer to the door and strained her ears to hear what they were saying, but it was difficult to understand anything. They were speaking rather quietly to begin with, and the closed door was muffling their voices further. She took another tentative step towards it, hoping the floorboards wouldn't squeak. She didn't want them to hear her and scold her for being out of bed and eavesdropping. She knew it was rude, but she just couldn't help it this time. She'd risk getting caught. Carefully, she pressed her ear against the wooden door.

"Can I stay with you tonight, Nick? Please?" Mystic Maya's voice sounded almost pleading, which puzzled Pearl. Why would she have to ask her special someone if she could stay with him? That should have just been a given!

There was a beat of silence, then Mr. Nick's voice, sounding so concerned. "Your eyes are red. Were you crying again?"

Pearl's eyes widened. Why would Mystic Maya be crying? Surely Mr. Nick would never do anything to hurt her, so why?

"Please?" Mystic Maya tried again, ignoring his comment.

"You probably shouldn't, Maya… Pearls will wonder where you are," Mr. Nick said. Pearl was about ready to fling the door open and exclaim that she could sleep by herself if Mystic Maya wanted to sleep with her special someone, but Mystic Maya started talking again before she could even reach for the doorknob.

"It's not like we're _doing_ anything, and I can't sleep with Pearly right now," Mystic Maya said. Her voice had gone even quieter, which forced Pearl to press her ear harder against the door to make out the words. " _Please,_ Nick. I've been waking Pearly up all this week because of the nightmares I've been having. I can't get it out of my head…" Pearl was surprised to hear that. It was true, Mystic Maya had woken her up during the night a few times that week by thrashing around, but when Pearl questioned her about it, Mystic Maya always smiled, apologized, and said she was just an active sleeper and that everything was fine, so Pearl hadn't thought much of it.

"I don't know what to do!" Mystic Maya cried. "I can't stop thinking about everything that happened!" It burst out of her, and suddenly Pearl could hear her sobbing. Mystic Maya was breaking down on the other side of the door, her crying becoming louder and her breaths coming out in loud sobs.

Pearl pulled away from the door. Of course. It had only been a week since Hazakura Temple. She felt stupid for not realizing sooner just how much her beloved cousin had been hurting. Mystic Maya had just lost her mother, a mother that she'd never really known in the first place. Pearl had lost her mother too, but even she knew it wasn't the same thing. Her mother was in jail. In solitary confinement, where she couldn't hurt anyone anymore, but alive. Pearl always had the option of visiting her, if she ever decided she wanted to again, but Mystic Maya's mother was gone forever. She felt a surge of guilt. She knew Mystic Maya and Mr. Nick didn't blame her for what happened, but she also knew she _did_ play a part in Mystic Maya's suffering, whether they blamed her or not.

"Come here, Maya," Pearl heard through the door. Mr. Nick had stopped whispering, and Pearl could hear some shuffling on the other side of the door. She could imagine Mystic Maya crawling up onto his bed with him. "I'm so sorry," she heard him say. "I'm so, so sorry."

"I didn't even know she was my mother, Nick," Mystic Maya sobbed. "I didn't know until she was already gone. I never really knew her to begin with and now I never will. And now I'm expected to go back to Kurain Village and become Master so suddenly. I'm not ready. I don't know what to do." She took a breath. "What do I do, Nick?"

"Ssh," he soothed her. "We'll figure it out. Don't worry. You can sleep here tonight if you want to."

Mystic Maya sniffled loudly. "I just… need you right now. You help, you know?"

"Mhm."

Pearl stood rooted to the spot, trying to decide whether or not to open the door and make her presence known. She decided to peek inside first, so she reached up to slowly turn the doorknob and cracked the door open. Over the sound of Mystic Maya's crying and Mr. Nick's murmured words of comfort, neither of them heard or saw the door opening.

They were sitting together at the edge of the bed, both completely unaware of Pearl's presence. Mystic Maya was turned into him, hiding her face in his shoulder as she cried. Mr. Nick had his cheek pressed against her hair, which was down and flowing from her regular topknot and baubles. Her hands were balled into the front of the t-shirt he was wearing for sleep as if she was scared he'd make her leave if she let go, but Pearl could tell just by the way his arms were tightly wrapped around her that he wasn't going to let go of her any time soon.

The way they were sitting was almost the exact same way they had looked when Pearl saw them together on the couch the other night. She realized suddenly that they weren't cuddling at all. Mystic Maya put on a happy face during the day so Pearl wouldn't worry about her, but she couldn't keep up the façade at night.

Pearl couldn't see Mystic Maya's face, but Mr. Nick was turned just enough that she could see the pained look on _his_ face as he listened to Mystic Maya cry and sob messily into his shoulder. He looked like he wanted to cry himself. He turned his head to kiss the top of Mystic Maya's, and normally that would have made Pearl jump for joy, but it didn't seem that romantic now. Even she could tell that it was just a gesture of comfort.

Mystic Maya pulled away from him slightly, but kept her eyes downcast. She sniffed and wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her pyjama top. "Promise me you'll never leave me, Nick," she mumbled. "First my sister, now my mom. You and Pearly are all I have left. I don't know what I would do if anything ever happened to either of you."

Mr. Nick lifted a hand to wipe a tear from her cheek with a thumb, then brushed a piece of her hair back from her face. "I'll always be here for you and Pearls, Maya. I promise."

Mystic Maya hugged him again, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for everything, Nick. I know I don't say that enough and I take you for granted a lot. You're so good to me and Pearly…"

His arms wrapped around her waist again to pull her tightly against him. "You don't have to say it. Just promise me you'll pull through. You can stay here as long as you want, Maya. Take your time grieving and recovering. But eventually you have to prove those old women you're always telling me about wrong, and become the best Master Kurain has ever had."

She nodded and finally let a small smile grace her lips. "I promise." She moved back a little to create some space between them, then reached forward to brush at the wet spot her tears had left on his shirt. "Sorry about your shirt… again."

"It's fine. It'll dry."

"Hey Nick… Don't tell Pearly I slept here, okay?"

He chuckled. "You think I'd tell Pearls you slept in my bed again? What would she say about us then?"

Mystic Maya let out a short little laugh. "Well, that's one reason. But I also don't want her to know about my nightmares. She might start thinking what happened was her fault again and blame herself. I don't want that."

Pearl couldn't stop herself anymore. She flung the door open wide and burst into the room. "MYSTIC MAYAAAA!" she cried, her own tears impossible to stop from flowing down her cheeks.

Mystic Maya and Mr. Nick both looked up, jumping a little in surprise. "Pearly!" Mystic Maya said. "What are you doing awake?"

"I wanted a glass of water but I heard you in Mr. Nick's room so I stopped to listen. I'M SO SORRY, MYSTIC MAYA!" she wailed.

Mystic Maya reached forward and grabbed her, pulling her into her arms. "Shush, Pearly, it's okay. None of this is your fault, okay?"

"B-But you're having nightmares because of it!"

"Because of Dahlia Hawthorne, not you, Pearls," Mr. Nick said from the other side of her. He made a point of not mentioning her mother, Pearl realized. He placed a hand on top of her head and ruffled her hair. "Don't blame yourself, Pearls. Please don't."

She sniffed and hugged Mystic Maya tightly. She squeezed back comfortingly and Pearl looked up at her. "I'll go back to bed now, Mystic Maya. I don't want to intrude on yours and Mr. Nick's private time."

Mystic Maya rolled her eyes, but she was smiling too. "You weren't intruding on anything, Pearly. We were just about to go to sleep."

Pearl glanced at Mr. Nick to find him smiling softly at her and Mystic Maya. She bit her lip. "Mr. Nick… Can I stay too?"

"Pearly, Nick's bed is barely big enough for two people. I'll just come back to bed with you."

"No!" Pearl said immediately. "You stay here, Mystic Maya. You need Mr. Nick!" she said, repeating what she'd heard Mystic Maya herself say earlier.

"You can both stay, if you want," Mr. Nick said. "I think we can all squeeze in."

Pearl didn't wait for Mystic Maya to protest further. She jumped up off the bed and ran around to the other side, flinging the covers off and crawling into the bed. "Mystic Maya, you sleep here," she said, patting the spot directly beside her, forcing Mystic Maya into the middle.

Mystic Maya apparently wasn't in the mood to argue, so she crawled under the covers beside Pearl, moving as far over as she could. She wasn't wrong about the bed not being very big, but Mr. Nick managed to squeeze in beside her as well, and Pearl smiled when he wrapped an arm around Mystic Maya's middle.

Maya didn't complain, it wasn't the first time she'd slept so closely to him, in fact there was probably more space between them now than when they were alone, but she knew Pearly was observing every gesture. She closed her eyes. Still, it didn't really matter what Pearly thought. The strength of his arm around her was comforting, there was no ulterior motive behind it, and it was just what she needed right now.

Mystic Maya wrapped her own arm around Pearl, and Pearl closed her eyes as well, feeling for once like she had a complete family again. Maybe her mother was in jail, along with her half-sister for now, but she still had Mystic Mystic Maya and Mr. Nick. They were her real family anyway, and they were all she really needed.


	12. Sleepover

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: Sleepover  
Word Count: 1,256  
Rating: T (just to be safe lmao)

You can just assume this is some AU where Phoenix isn't disbarred and doesn't adopt Trucy (or perhaps she's just off at a friend's house having her own sleepover.)

* * *

"Nick! Don't forget we need to go to the pharmacy before our sleepover tonight!"

Phoenix cringes as Maya practically yells that across the defendant's lobby. The pharmacy?! Why did she call it the pharmacy? Yes you can pick up prescriptions in the pharmacy _section_ of the store she's talking about, but they're not going there for prescriptions or anything else you would find in that section! People are already turning to look at him. He even sees one woman turn to another and whisper something that sounds suspiciously like "I knew it". The bailiff then catches his eye and grins wickedly, giving him a thumbs up in the process. Phoenix just looks away uncomfortably as Maya leads him out of the lobby, painfully aware of her hand on his arm and the stares they're both getting.

At the "pharmacy", which is really more of a large chain grocery store, where they're buying candy and other assorted things, Maya yet again announces to the world their plans for the night while they're standing at the cash register about to pay.

"Oh, Nick! I almost forgot I need to get some of that jelly stuff for our sleepover! That makes it so much easier."

The cashier looks up at him with a raised eyebrow. Maya runs back down the aisles to find what she's looking for — jello, not jelly. It's easier to buy it in packages than to make her own apparently. The cashier has a look on her face like she's judging him. He can't even imagine what she's thinking Maya is talking about.

He stands there awkwardly while he waits for Maya, saying nothing. The awkward silence is deafening. He's relieved when Maya finally returns, with packages of jello cups. The cashier looks a little surprised, but checks them out without any further problems.

He hates the word 'sleepover'. Saying they're having a 'sleepover' seems so juvenile, but Maya insists because she _knows_ it bothers him. He's a 27 year old man, and 27 year old men do not have sleepovers with their 20 year old assistants. Besides, their relationship is complicated and he knows what people think when Maya says things like that.

The thing is… sometimes they're _half_ right. They've never gone all the way, not like all the dirty minded people around him seem to think, but there have been nights spent cuddling, kissing, caressing. They even made it to his bed once, but Maya decided she wasn't ready. He was actually sort of glad; once his mind was clear enough to think of anything else he wasn't sure he wanted to go that far yet either. They spent the night there in each other's arms anyway.

The next morning it was slightly awkward, and they told each other it was weird and they wouldn't do it again and that it would be better to remain friends. But it did happen again. And again, and again, and again.

He's sure it'll happen tonight too, and finds himself actually looking forward to it. It's nice to have someone to hold, someone you know cares about you and who you care about just as much. But it's no one else's business besides their own. Is it so bad that he wants their private affairs kept private?

When they make it back to his apartment with their shopping bags, Maya dumps everything on the kitchen table and immediately starts unpacking things. He stands behind her and watches her work. She knows better than him where things go in his own apartment. Without her everything would probably be shoved into one cupboard, but she has it all organized, so he lets her take care of it.

When she starts reaching above her, trying to put a box of cereal away in one of the upper cupboards, he steps forward and takes it from her, easily reaching the cupboard and putting it away for her. She looks at him and pouts. "I could've done that."

"I know. I wanted to help."

She smiles and reaches out to squeeze his hand. He captures it in his and she raises an eyebrow. "Maya… What have I calmly and politely asked you not to do anymore?" he says seriously.

"Huh?" She looks like she genuinely doesn't understand. "Was I going to put the cereal in the wrong spot?"

"No. Listen, stop telling people we have 'sleepovers'," he says, still calm as can be. "It sounds _weird_ , do you realize that?"

"But that's what they are!" she protests.

He points his objection finger at her. "You know they're not! Not anymore at least. And everyone else knows it too because you announce it in random places whenever we have plans! Do you know what people think when you say we have to go to the _pharmacy_ before a _sleepover_?"

"…What?"

He leans down closer to her. "They think you need to buy condoms."

"Ni-ick!"

"I'm serious! You never notice the way people look at us but I do! People know!"

"We don't even do that…" she mumbles. "So they don't know anything."

He sighs. "Please, just stop it. It makes me uncomfortable."

"Is there a problem with people thinking you and me are in _that_ kind of relationship?"

"N-No. But is it so bad to want our private life kept private?"

"Fine," she says. "No more sleepover talk, at least in front of other people."

"Thank you." She starts smiling for seemingly no reason, and it's starting to make him anxious. "Why are you smiling, Maya?"

"I was just thinking, it's a good thing you don't mind if people know we're in that kind of relationship."

"Why is that?"

"I've been thinking… Every single time I come over we eventually start making out like crazy even though we always tell each other we won't. And well, why not? I _want_ to, Nick. So why not just let this happen? Whatever it is."

"Well… okay."

She looks up, surprised at how quickly he agreed. "Really?"

He lifts his arm to rub the back of his neck. "Yeah, really."

She grins and jumps forward to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him down so she can kiss him. "Wanna see something funny?" she asks once she's pulled away.

"Okay?"

She unwraps herself from his arms and goes back to their grocery bags to dig through them. She smirks over at him. "After what you said, it's sort of funny that I bought these today." She snickers and yanks a box of condoms from the bag.

He can only stare at her, speechless. "When… _How_? I didn't see those when I was paying."

"I have my ways."

"You didn't shoplift them did you?!"

"No!"

He looks relieved, then slightly amused. "So… Why did you buy a box of condoms, Maya? I do have some, you know."

"Who _knows_ how old those are!" she exclaims.

"Hey! They're not expired yet!"

She laughs and sets the box back on the table, then steps into his arms again. He instinctively wraps his around her. "I think I'm finally ready, so I thought I'd buy them just so we have them… Just in case. We don't have to use them right away though… Let's just see what happens," she says.

He leans down to kiss the top of her head. "Yeah. How about we start a movie?"

She nods and smiles pleasantly, then sprints out of his arms and into the living room. "I get to pick!"

Phoenix groans and follows after her. "You _always_ pick."


	13. Hitting on Me

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: "I can never tell if you're hitting on me or not."  
Word Count: 2,010

I accidentally made it sound like Phoenix still has trials even though he has Trucy by this point… sshh. Just overlook that.

* * *

"Wright, shouldn't Miss Fey be back by now?"

Phoenix looked around, noticing for the first time that Maya was nowhere to be found. He was a little embarrassed to admit he hadn't even noticed that she was gone, so he had no idea how long she'd even been missing. He shrugged. "I don't know, but she's a big girl, I'm sure she can take care of herself."

Edgeworth looked at him disapprovingly. "Remember what happened last time Miss Fey went missing for a little bit?"

Phoenix went cold. Maybe he'd been drinking too much, because that hadn't even crossed his mind. He was enjoying the conversation around him too much and had completely lost track of time… and Maya.

Edgeworth noticed the look on Phoenix's face and softened his stare. "Calm down, Wright. What are the odds that would happen again? I'm sure she just went to visit the other guests."

"Right," Phoenix said, absently setting his drink on one of the side tables they were standing near. Edgeworth's penthouse apartment had an abundance of surfaces to set things on, and he had at least two servants to clean up after the party guests, so Phoenix didn't feel too bad leaving it there. He was too worried now to care much. "I'm gonna go look for her though."

Edgeworth nodded. "Go ahead. Better to be safe than sorry."

Phoenix walked away and into the next room over. He didn't recognize anyone there, so he left to walk through the kitchen where the food and drinks were being kept. There he spotted Detective Gumshoe struggling to hold someone back from the food table.

The flash of black hair and purple robes as she escaped his grasp made it obvious who it was. "Maya," Phoenix breathed, relieved that she was safe. Of course she'd be in here where all the food was.

"Detective!" he called, walking over to Gumshoe, who was standing huffing and puffing.

"Oh, Mr. Wright! Miss Fey is…"

Maya looked over from where she was standing stuffing a stick of celery in her mouth. Most of the food was gone so there were only slim pickings left, not that that was going to stop her. "Niiiiiick!" she shouted through her mouthful.

Gumshoe sighed. "I was trying to get her to stop eating so I could get her back to you. You should probably take her home now."

"Huh? How come? It's just Maya being Maya; she likes to eat."

"No, pal," Gumshoe explained, "she's been drinking quite a bit."

Phoenix looked back at Maya. She was stumbling her way over to them now, grabbing onto anything she could to steady herself. When she made it to them, she practically threw herself into Phoenix's arms. He held her by the shoulders to help her stand. "Maya, you're drunk," he stated.

"Whaaat? I'm not drunk!" Gumshoe and Phoenix exchanged a look. Phoenix looked back down at her. "You're _very_ drunk. You shouldn't be drinking, Maya, you're not old enough. You're lucky Gumshoe is a friend or Edgeworth could get into trouble. There are only a few more months until your birthday, you couldn't just wait?"

Maya waved a hand in his face. "Nick you always worry so much! It was just a few drinks, I'm fiiiine."

He let go of her shoulders experimentally and took a step back. She swayed dangerously, so he wrapped an arm around her again. "Okaaay, we'll be heading home now."

"Aaaw, Nick! I don't want to leave yet."

"We have to, it's getting late anyway."

She pouted while Phoenix thanked Gumshoe for watching out for her, and apologized for not watching her more closely. After saying goodbye, he guided her back to the seating area where Edgeworth was entertaining other guests.

"Hey, Mr. Edgeworth!" Maya yelled across the room.

Edgeworth turned towards them with his eyebrows raised. "Hello again, Miss Fey," he said as they approached. He raised his eyes to Phoenix, who only shrugged.

"We'll be heading out now, Edgeworth," Phoenix told him. "We had fun, thanks for inviting us."

"I would say at least one of you had fun," Edgeworth said, eyeing Maya. "Do you need a ride home?"

"I can call a taxi, but thanks. Don't want to risk this one puking all over your car."

Maya was clinging to his shirt to hold herself up, but at that she leaned away to look up at him. "I'm not gonna puke, I feel great!"

"I'm sure you feel absolutely invincible right now," he replied.

"Well, you'd better get home then," Edgeworth said. "Goodnight, Wright, Maya."

Maya let go of Phoenix long enough to bow dramatically at Edgeworth. She keeled forward, and Phoenix reached out to grab her wrist and pull her back before she fell head over heels. He pulled her safely against his chest again, holding her tightly to prevent her from embarrassing herself further.

Edgeworth looked quite worried. "You're sure you'll be okay, Wright?"

"Oh yeah, I can handle it. Come on, Maya, let's go."

She smiled and maneuvered to grip his arm so he could guide her out of the apartment and into the elevator. Once down in the apartment lobby, Phoenix gently prodded her to take a seat while he called for a taxi. She sat quietly while he made the call, glancing around the fancy apartment lobby. After he'd put his phone back in his pocket he took a seat beside her and sighed.

She looked at him through half lidded eyes. "You are so _cute_ , Nick." He whipped his head towards her, but she was still smiling, not embarrassed at all at what she'd just blurted out. She giggled. "Look at your face! Your eyes are so big, like a big puppy dog. So cuuuute!"

"Maya, you don't know what you're saying."

"I do," she said, scooting closer to him.

"I can never tell if you're hitting on me or not on regular days," he mumbled. "Please don't do it while you're drunk." Every so often Maya would do or say things that made him wonder, but he usually shrugged it off as her teasing him or not knowing the connotations behind what she said because of her sheltered upbringing. Now he wasn't so sure. What was that old saying? Drunken words are sober thoughts? Not to mention she'd been spending time in the city for close to five years now. She probably knew more lingo than he even realized.

She leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder. "You know what I love?"

He really hoped she wasn't going to say what he thought she was. "What do you love, Maya?"

"Watching you in court. You get so into it, it's hot." He was starting to _literally_ feel hot. He wished she would just fall asleep or something. He would carry her if she passed out, at least that would stop her from talking. " _And…_ and… you're really brave and strong and you always look out for me, and you love Pearly. I love how much you love Pearly," she continued.

"Maya…"

"Yesss?"

A car honked from outside, and they both turned to look. The yellow taxi had pulled up to the curb to wait for them. Phoenix stood up and held a hand out to Maya to assist her in standing. She was still swaying on her feet, so he let her hold onto his arm again until they were safely inside the taxi. Phoenix gave the driver the address to his apartment, which was in a much less nice part of town compared to Edgeworth's, and helped Maya buckle her seatbelt, since she could hardly even manage that.

The car ride was mostly silent. He watched the streetlights slip by out the window but would look back over at Maya every few minutes to be sure she was okay and not feeling sick. The last thing he needed was a cleaning bill from the cab company if she puked in the car. She looked content as she stared out her window. Well, at least now he knew that she was a happy drunk and not an angry or emotional one.

He was a little surprised that she was still awake when they arrived in front of his apartment. She tried to get out of the car herself, but he hurried around to help her.

She gazed at him. "See what I mean? Always looking after me." She lurched forward into him as she stepped from the car. She wrapped her arms around his waist in an impromptu hug.

The taxi driver raised his eyebrows at them and cleared his throat. "I get that you're probably eager to get your girl there into bed but are you gonna pay me or what?"

"Ah! Of course, sir," Phoenix said, attempting to get his wallet from his pocket over Maya's arms around him. He handed over the bills and the driver sped away before even waiting for them to step further away from the car. "Alright, time to go upstairs, Maya," he said, grabbing her wrists to unlock her arms from around him.

"Okay!" She started to walk ahead of him, still stumbling but not as badly as before. He still rushed after her just in case she fell or tripped over something.

Eventually they made it up the stairs to the second floor, after much coaxing. Once they made it into the lobby Maya decided she wanted to go back outside and walk to the convenience store to buy snacks, but he managed to convince her that they already had enough snacks inside.

"Where's Trucy?" she inquired once they were inside his apartment.

"She's at a friend's house tonight, remember? So we could go to Edgeworth's party?"

"Aaaw, I wanted to see her."

"She'll be here tomorrow morning. Now, do you want some water or something for now?"

She shook her head. "I'm good." She seemed to have forgotten all about her need for snacks just a few minutes ago. "I think I'm gonna go to bed."

He nodded. "You can sleep in my room for tonight. A good night's sleep might help with the hangover you are _definitely_ going to have tomorrow," he told her as she swayed over to the couch.

"Ooh, okay."

"This way…"

"Right."

She followed him into the room and went straight to his dresser.

"Um, what are you doing?"

"Looking for something to wear to bed, duh."

"You didn't bring pajamas?"

"I forgot."

He sighed. "Fine, hurry up."

She grabbed an old t-shirt from his drawer and began immediately untying the knot keeping her robes closed. He turned his back to her as quickly as he could. Luckily he hadn't seen anything. "MAYA! What are you doing?! Wait until I'm gone!"

"Whoops, sorry Nick."

"Just… tell me when you're done."

"It's okay now." He turned back around to find Maya crawling under his covers, wearing his shirt. He couldn't help smiling at how adorable she looked.

She turned over to face him once she was comfortable. "Nick, why don't you have a girlfriend?"

That wiped the smile off his face. She was going to be the death of him tonight. He could feel himself starting to blush. "I don't know…"

"You're so _sweet_ , and did I tell you how adorable you are? I don't get why no one wants to go out with you."

"Maya… I'm not even looking for a girlfriend right now. I'm quite happy being single."

She shrugged. Her eyes were starting to droop. "I could be your girlfriend, if you wanted one. We hang out enough anyway."

He could only stare at her open mouthed. "Thank God you're not going to remember any of this in the morning," he said once he regained his composure.

She didn't reply. It looked like she was finally asleep, so he went back out to the kitchen to pour her a glass of water and find some painkillers to set on the bedside table.

Hopefully they would help a little bit when Maya woke up in the morning.


	14. This Movie Isn't Sad

Pairing: Blackquill/Athena  
Prompt: "This movie isn't even that sad. Why are you crying?"  
Word Count: 673

My first time writing Cykesquill, so I apologize for the shortness. (These _are_ supposed to be drabbles anyway but most of them end up a lot longer...)

* * *

Athena tries to subtly wipe her tears away before Simon notices, but it's no use. She can see him look down from the corner of her eye, his own eyes widening as he notices the tears trailing down her cheeks. He looks concerned for a split second, but as soon as it comes it's gone, and instead he scowls at her.

"This movie isn't even that sad, Athena. Why are you crying?"

She uses the sleeve of her yellow jacket to wipe at her eyes. No use hiding it now that he's seen.

" _It's just SO SAD!"_ Widget blurts out loudly, before she can find her voice.

Simon sighs. "What's so sad about it?"

Once she's managed to control her tears, she turns to smile up at him. "It reminds me… of what you did for me. The hero of the story sacrificed himself for his leading lady, even though it means he won't be able to see her. It's a really bittersweet ending… He does love her, but they can't be together. It just strikes a chord with me, you know?"

"Hmph. I didn't do that out of love. You were only, what, ten years old?"

She smacks his arm playfully. "I was eleven. But I know what you mean. It's still a similar situation though. I'll never be able to repay you for what you did."

He wraps an arm gently around her shoulders. He's still hesitant when he does things like this, like he doesn't know whether or not she's okay with it or if it's an appropriate moment. He's been in prison for the past seven years; he's still getting used to certain social cues again, so it's understandable. She knows she needs to be patient.

He's a man of few words, so he doesn't say anything, but his arm around her is comforting nonetheless. She leans into his touch, letting him know that it's okay. If anything, she wishes he would be a bit more bold, but he's just not that type of man. He's gruff and coarse and sometimes he can say mean things if he's a little too heated, but she knows he's working on that. Above all, he's still respectful. She wonders if maybe that has to do with their age difference, or perhaps he still feels loyalty to her mother even after all these years, or a mixture of both.

They sit quietly for a few minutes, listening to the soft music playing from the TV as the credits of the movie roll. Out of nowhere, he speaks.

"As far as I'm concerned, you've already paid your debt, if there was ever one to begin with. You saved my life by proving my innocence. We're even."

He doesn't mention how her constant visits to his new apartment are the highlights of his week. He doesn't thank her for all the times she's helped him with readjusting to life outside of prison. He doesn't tell her that she's one of the only people in his life who looks at him as a person and an equal, not just Simon Blackquill the ex-convict. She's already done more than enough to 'repay' him. Maybe someday he'll tell her, but for now he just sits, enjoying the contact between them, as little as it is.

She snuggles into him a bit more. "Thanks, Simon." He grunts in response, and she smiles. She shyly moves her arm across his stomach, reaching to the other side so she can squeeze him in a quick hug. Before he can react she jumps off the couch and spins back around to face him.

"I'm gonna head home now. Thanks for the movie. Same time next week?"

He sits forward, still a little dazed at how quickly that hug had come and gone, and nods. "Yes. Same time next week."

" _I CAN'T WAIT!"_ Widget yet again blurts out.

Athena blushes. "Sorry about that," she shrugs. "Widget's right though… I'm looking forward to it."

He looks away from her gaze. "...As am I."


	15. Under the Weather

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: Under the Weather  
Word Count: 1,342

* * *

"Where are you bringing me, Maya?"

Maya grips his hand in hers just a little tighter as she escorts him along one of the paths on the outskirts of Kurain Village. She has a bag hanging from her other arm. "I want to show you something, Nick," she says, looking back at him with a small smile. "We're almost there."

He looks around, trying to figure out where she's taking him. He does have to admit, Kurain Village is beautiful in the spring, particularly these back paths that aren't traveled on often. The green grass, the trees, the flowers, the sounds of the birds. It's all so peaceful. Too bad he can already feel his allergies starting to act up, so he won't be able to enjoy it for long. Normally they aren't too bad, he can pop an antihistamine pill in the morning and be fine for most of the day while he's in the city, but out here in the country where there's more green space, he isn't so sure. He hadn't even known Maya had planned on bringing him out this far today, so he hadn't taken any pills in preparation.

She starts to slow her pace enough that she can walk beside him instead of the pulling along she'd been doing. He always takes time to appreciate the quiet moments like this. Maya can be rambunctious and hyper and she always seems to be on the move, and he appreciates that about her because it makes him feel younger in turn, but he loves these quiet moments too.

They walk along the path together hand in hand for a few more minutes, then Maya gasps and points into the distance. He squints in the general direction of her finger. Ahead of them he can see a grove of cherry blossom trees. She tugs on his hand again. "Come on, Nick. The trees are so pretty here, and hardly anyone bothers coming this far out to see them. Most people just stay in the village." She looks down and away, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. "It's really quiet and private…"

He smiles at her. The only time Maya ever acts shy or embarrassed is during times where she wants to imply romance. She's still not completely comfortable with it, but he doesn't mind. Seeing her that way makes her somehow even cuter. "So what's with the bag you've been carrying around? I'm surprised you didn't make me carry it."

"It's snacks! We can have a picnic out here, it'll be nice."

"Alright, sounds good." He resists the urge to obnoxiously sniffle, but as soon as she's turned away he wipes a sleeve across his face. It's gross, but he has no tissues and his nose is starting to run. He supposes it's not too bad, soon enough he'll feel so stuffed up that it won't matter.

They walk together through the trees, the blossoms slowly drifting around them as they fall. Maya finds one of the largest trees, its canopy spreading out to rain petals down on them, and sits down. They don't need anything to sit on, the ground is dry and the fallen petals are like a blanket underneath of them. She sits with her back against the trunk and starts pulling paper plates and sandwiches from her bag.

Phoenix takes a moment to rub at his eyes. Now they're starting to get itchy too. But he has to try to enjoy this, or at least pretend to enjoy it, for Maya. He's been through worse for her, so what are some minor allergy problems?

"Niiiick, why are you still standing? Sit down."

"Sorry," he says, smiling down at her. "I was just admiring everything. It's really beautiful here, Maya. Why haven't you ever brought me here before?"

She shrugs and hands him a sandwich after he's sat down beside her. "I don't know. There are lots of cherry blossoms to see in the main village, and there's always a bit of a party during this time of the year, so Pearly and I mostly just go to that. But this year… I figured this would be nicer."

"Won't the village miss their Master on a day like this?"

She shrugs. "Pearly's covering for me."

Pearl has been nothing but helpful the past few months. He's grateful that she's willing to give up so much of her free time to allow Maya to leave the village, so he can spend more time with her. He feels a little guilty about it, Pearl is still a teenager and has her own life too, but she's more than happy to give up a day of hanging out with her friends so that Maya can leave her duties for the day to see him.

They sit together in silence while they eat, watching the trees sway and the petals fall. It's the perfect temperature, not too hot, not too cold. Maya is comfortable in her Master's robes and Phoenix is fine in a long sleeved shirt and jeans. The only thing bothering him are his damn allergies. When they finish eating, the silence stretches on. Neither of them seem to want to be the one to break it.

Maya moves over and stretches her legs out in front of her. He takes the opportunity to lift an arm and wrap it around her, pulling her close to him as he reclines against the tree. "What to do?" she says, slipping an arm across his waist.

He looks down at her and she up at him, a little smile on her face.

"Well, you did say this was a pretty private place, didn't you?"

"I did…"

"Then… how about…"

He closes the distance between them quickly, capturing her lips with his. She makes a surprised noise, but reaches up and wraps her hand around his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair.

They pull away for a second to breathe, but when Maya leans in for another kiss, he turns his face away.

"Nick?" She sounds worried, like she did something wrong. It doesn't help that he can't answer her right away. She moves her hand from the back of his neck to his cheek, trying to turn his face towards her, but he stubbornly holds it away. "Nick… Did I do something?"

"N-n-no…"

"Then what's—" He sneezes, and she jumps. When he turns back to her, his eyes are red and watering, and she laughs. "Oh. Bless you."

"Thanks." He breathes out, now his nose is starting to feel stuffed up too.

"Are you getting sick?" Maya asks worriedly.

"No, it's just my allergies acting up."

"I didn't know you had allergies. You never told me that before."

"They're usually not an issue, but I guess it's all the fresh air out here, and I never took any of my medicine for it before we came out here since you surprised me."

"Aw, I'm sorry, Nick. Do you want to head back to the manor?" He shakes his head no, but is interrupted by another sneeze. He groans and Maya smiles sympathetically. "Come on. Let's get you back. This place isn't going anywhere. We can always come back once you've taken your medicine."

She stands up and takes his hands, pulling on him to get him to stand. He reluctantly gets up. "Sorry, Maya. This place really is beautiful."

"You don't have to apologize, Nick. You stuck it out as long as you could for me. And we did get to eat those yummy sandwiches."

He laughs. "Of course, the sandwiches were what really mattered."

"Well yeah! I made them myself you know!"

"Really? I'm impressed, they were surprisingly good."

She swats his arm. "Hey, I'm a better cook than you give me credit for."

"Making sandwiches doesn't count as cooking, I don't think."

She sticks her tongue out at him and runs ahead. She's surprisingly fast. "Wait, Maya! Don't leave me! I'll get lost!"

"Then don't make fun of my sandwiches!" her distant voice answers.


	16. Goodbye

Pairing: Apollo/Athena  
Prompt (from Tumblr): Justicykes in an "idk what we are but it's ok while no one knows right? right? oh no someone will know" situation.  
Word Count: 865

Kind of went off prompt though, I'm not really sure it follows the above but I wanted to try writing them.

* * *

"Were you even going to talk to me about it?"

Apollo looked up from his suitcase where he was packing and over towards the door. Athena was standing just outside of it, one arm crossed over her body to hold onto the other. She wasn't looking at him, she couldn't seem to meet his gaze.

"I was going to, Athena," he said. "So much has happened since the trial though, there hasn't been time."

"Right… I guess you're right." She stepped into the room tentatively, unsure if he really wanted her there or not. She swallowed, readying to ask him the one thing she really dreaded knowing. "You're going to stay here in Khura'in, aren't you, Apollo?"

He sighed. "I'm still thinking about it."

Just the fact that he still hadn't decided to go back with them broke her heart. It meant there was still the chance he was going to stay. She refused to cry though. "I know we were never really official, Apollo. We never really talked about what our relationship was, and we tried to keep it quiet from Mr. Wright and Trucy… but I hope you know I care about you, deeply. And… if it were up to me, you'd be coming back with us."

"I know," he said quietly.

"I guess I'll leave you to your decision then," she said, turning to leave.

"Wait." She stopped. She could hear him shuffling, getting up, and his footsteps coming towards her. He reached out to take her hand and pulled her back around to face him. "Will you stay with me tonight?"

"Trucy will wonder where I am…" she said.

Apollo squeezed her hand. "Please?"

She looked up into his face and nodded, her defences crumbling easily under his stare. She had to. It might be the last night she was able to spend with him, and she knew she would regret it if she didn't. He led her back to his futon and pulled her down with him.

"Athena, I care about you too," he said, reaching forward to brush part of her bangs away from her eyes. "But with Dhurke gone, I feel like I owe it to him to help rebuild…" He paused, noting the sad look on her face. "But I still haven't made up my mind."

She decided not to mention how the discord in his voice became more apparent as he said that, and tried to ignore the devastation she felt. Maybe he would change his mind by morning, but for now all she could do was enjoy being with him one last time.

She flung herself forward into his arms, causing him to fall backwards on the futon, and brought her lips down to his, kissing him hard and deep. He kissed her back, leaving one arm around her waist and bringing the other up to untie the ribbon keeping her hair up to let it fall down around them.

The next morning, Athena woke wrapped in Apollo's arms. She managed to quietly slip away from him without waking him, and went to the door to make her way back to her and Trucy's shared room before anyone noticed she was gone.

She tiptoed into the hallway and started making her way down it when she heard a yawn from behind her. She whipped around to find Phoenix behind her, making his own way down the hall back towards the room she knew he was staying in. He was still wearing pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt, and looked just as much like a deer caught in the headlights as she probably did.

They stared at each other for a few seconds, but Phoenix was the first to speak. "Were you, um, with Apollo?" She was sure her face turned bright red as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Phoenix continued before she could confirm or deny his suspicions. "I always sort of had a feeling there was something going on with you two. You're both adults, so it's fine, but I get why you wouldn't want to tell me."

He knew? After all this time he knew, and she was always so worried about him finding out, because relationships between colleagues were never a good thing and she was sure he wouldn't approve of his only two employees being in a romantic relationship. They'd tried so hard to hide it. Not that it mattered anymore. If Apollo's heart was anything to go by, he'd already made his decision.

"Y-Yeah, I was," she admitted. "He's probably going to stay here, so it was the last time I'd really get to see him."

Phoenix fell into step beside her as they made their way back to their respective rooms. "Maybe, maybe not. He might decide to come back."

"I doubt it," she sighed.

He patted her shoulder sympathetically. "We'll just have to wait and see."

She nodded. "Yeah… and Mr. Wright?"

"Hm?"

"Do you mind not telling anyone else that you saw me? We were never really official, so it'd just be weird for people to know now."

"As long as you don't tell anyone that _you_ saw me."

She smiled. "Deal."


	17. Patching Up a Wound

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: "Patching up a wound".  
Word Count: 372

This actually wasn't a request, just something I had the idea for after seeing a prompt list and wrote myself, but it's too short to post on its own so I'm going to stick it here.

* * *

"It's _not funny_ , Maya!"

Maya continued to snicker as she dabbed at the cut above Phoenix's eyebrow. "It's kind of funny," she said.

He hissed in pain as she pressed the antiseptic soaked cotton ball against the cut. "I could have died, you know," he pouted.

She covered her mouth with her free hand, trying to hide her smile as best she could. "It's true what they say about men. They are huge babies when they get hurt or sick."

Phoenix ignored her, maximizing his pout. Maya continued on. "I'm wearing sandals and a dress. You're in jeans and have good shoes on and somehow _you're_ the one who fell off that big rock?"

He crossed his arms. "I lost my footing."

"How did you manage to hit your _face_ on the _ground_ though, that's what I don't understand."

Phoenix grabbed the cotton ball from her hand and held it to his own head. "I don't get it either okay but the point is I did, and it hurts."

Maya finally looked a little concerned. "Do you think you need to go to the hospital? What if you got a concussion or something?"

He waved her off. "I think it's fine. If I start feeling dizzy or getting headaches I'll go to the doctor."

Maya picked up a different cloth she'd soaked with warm water and dabbed at his face where the blood had dribbled down. "Head wounds bleed a lot, huh?"

"Mm."

"I'm sorry for not taking it seriously," she said.

Phoenix managed to smile. "It's okay. I guess I can imagine how silly I must have looked."

She put the cloth down and picked up a tiny band-aid from the counter. She peeled off the backing, then gestured for him to move his hand. "Yeah, I wish I had a video camera with me!" She pressed the band-aid gently against the cut and smiled down at him. "There. You're good to go, all thanks to Doctor Maya!"

Phoenix made to stand up from the toilet lid where he was sitting. "Oh! One more thing!" Maya exclaimed. She bent to place a kiss just above the band-aid. "There. _Now_ you're all better."

He smiled at her. "Thanks, Doctor."


	18. Long Distance

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: long distance relationship au (SOJ era)  
Word Count: 1,113

* * *

"I swear, Daddy. I thought you were born in the 90s? Didn't you grow up with this stuff?" Trucy complained as she helped Phoenix navigate the computer in his office. All he ever used it for was work, he didn't know how all of this fancy webcam chat stuff worked.

Trucy set everything up lightning fast. It boggled his mind how easy she'd made it seem. "There. Now when Miss Maya comes online you just have to hit the Call button here, okay? The webcam is set up, and the mic should be working."

"Thanks, Truce. You're the best."

She kissed him on the cheek. "You're welcome, Daddy. Tell Miss Maya I said hi." She left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Phoenix sat in front of the computer, staring. Maya's little dot was still grey, so he knew she wasn't online yet. It would be about 6 in the morning in the Kingdom of Khura'in, while it was 6 pm for him. He felt bad that Maya had to wake up so early just to talk to him, but she always assured him it was fine. She had to get up early to start her training anyway, and it was nice to talk to him before a long day under a cold waterfall. He watched the screen in silence, too scared to try doing anything else on the computer while he waited. He checked his watch. 6:06 pm. Maybe she'd slept in.

Just when he was getting worried, her little icon turned green. He hit the call button right away, unable to restrain himself to let her call first. Maya picked up right away, and her face filled the screen. She looked tired, still in her pyjamas and hair still down and messy from sleep, but she managed to smile pleasantly at him.

"Hi Nick."

"Hey, Maya. Good morning."

She yawned, not bothering to cover her mouth. "Sorry. Thanks. Good evening to you."

It was quiet. For whatever reason, talking like this, through webcams and the internet, it wasn't the same as being face to face. Phoenix was grateful for the technology, otherwise he would never get to see her, but sometimes their conversations felt forced, especially with the time difference. One of them was always tired, and sometimes there were long pauses where neither of them knew what to say.

"Did you eat yet?" he asked lamely. She looked like she'd just rolled out of bed, of course she hadn't eaten yet.

Maya shook her head to confirm his thoughts. "Not yet. I just got up."

"Sorry for waking you."

She shrugged. "It's worth it to see you. I don't think I'd make it through my training without seeing you first."

"And I don't think I could fall asleep at night without seeing _you_ ," he said.

Maya smiled, but she didn't look happy. It looked forced. "I miss you, Nick," she said, her voice cracking slightly.

He was a little alarmed. Maya never cried, no matter how much they missed each other, she _never_ cried, at least not in front of him. "Maya, what's wrong?"

It was clearly getting harder for her to hold back her tears. She put her hands over her face to hide them and spoke through, her words muffled. "Yesterday the Elder in charge of Kurain Village while I'm away, and the one in charge of my training, flew into Khura'in. I met with her so she could evaluate how I'm doing and she said I'm still not ready. I'm not good enough yet." She looked up from behind her hands, not bothering to hide her tears from him anymore. "Nick… She said I have to stay here another year."

Phoenix felt like he just had the breath knocked out of him. No. Maya was supposed to be coming home in just two months. She was supposed to be finished with her training, she was supposed to become the Master, and she was supposed to be with _him_. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. But he missed her so much it hurt, and hearing that she was going to be gone for yet another year? He wasn't even sure how to respond.

Maya was still struggling to control her emotions on the other end of the screen. "I'm s-sorry, Nick. I really wanted to come home. I was looking forward to it." He rubbed a hand over his face. Maya seemed to take his silence for anger. "I'm sorry," she repeated. "I'll understand if you want to end this… Whatever we're doing. We're so far away from each other, I never get to see you. You shouldn't have to wait for me."

"Maya, no," he said gently. "No. I love you. I'll wait as long as it takes. Take your time, do what you need to do. I'll be here when you're done."

She wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her nightgown and smiled. "I love you, too. And thank you."

"Maya, I'm proud of you, you know. When you're done all this training, you're going to be the best Master Kurain has ever had."

She nodded, looking slightly more determined. "You're right, Nick. I'll do my best."

"Good. You'd better go eat something now."

She nodded again. "Okay. I love you," she said again, blowing a kiss at her webcam.

"Love you too," he said, pretending to catch it and hold it to his heart.

She pushed a button and the screen switched off. Phoenix closed the window and switched to the web browser where he navigated to his online banking. The agency hadn't been doing too bad lately, and he had a pretty good sized savings now. He could probably afford a round trip plane ticket. He didn't care how much it cost or what sort of place he would have to stay in once he got there; if Maya wasn't coming home for another whole year, he _needed_ to see her in person. He needed to hug her, kiss her, and tell her in person how much he loved her.

He checked his calendar, made sure he didn't have any upcoming court dates, and then went about purchasing the tickets. There was no point in waiting. He would call Maya later to tell her he was coming.

When he left his office he found Trucy in the living room, watching TV. She looked up at him. "That was a pretty quick call, Daddy."

"Trucy, do you think you, Athena and Apollo can handle the office on your own next week?"

Trucy sat up, intrigued. "I think so. Why?"

"I'm going to go to see Maya."


	19. Co-Stars

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: co-stars au  
Word Count: 1,121

* * *

"Well? How do I look?"

 _Hot as hell._ "… Maybe you should quit being a spirit medium."

 _God, this costume is uncomfortable._ "Maybe. But it's kind of boring being a waitress."

"CUT! That's good for now! Let's take a break. Maya, don't change out of that costume, we still have another scene to do."

Maya lost her happy smile the moment the camera was off of her. She whipped off the ruffled headpiece and frowned down at it in her hands. "I hate this costume," she complained.

Phoenix smiled at her as he snapped his fingers. "Hey, kid? Where are you?"

In an instant his young assistant had appeared at his side, his two little hair antennas sticking straight up. They reminded Maya of a bug.

"Yes Mr. Wright?!"

"Get us some lunch," Phoenix told him. "Bring it to my trailer, for Maya and I. Oh and get me some…" he paused, and Maya rolled her eyes. "Get me some chocolate, from Belgium."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Wright!"

Off he went, in a red blur. Maya rolled her eyes at him. "You always give him the most ridiculous tasks, Nick. Chocolate from Belgium? Really?"

Phoenix shrugged. "I like to mess with him, what can I say? He's good though, he'll get me that chocolate."

Maya grinned at him and fanned herself with her headpiece. "Ugh, I'm dying in this costume, I can't believe they're going to make me wear it over the break."

Phoenix smirked at her. "Come on. Let's go eat."

She followed him to his trailer, not liking that smirk one bit. Well, she shouldn't say _that_ exactly. She knew what it meant and she had to admit that she _did_ like the idea, she just didn't want to disobey the director and mess up the costume before the next scene started shooting. She'd get in trouble but… It would be worth it.

They waited for the assistant to bring the food and water. Maya was dying for a burger but all that was provided were salad and water. They'd forced her to go on a diet just so she could squeeze into this tiny waitress uniform for _one_ scene in _one_ episode. She felt bad for the actress that played her sister, since she was going to have to squeeze into it next, purely for fanservice.

Once Phoenix had shooed away his assistant, he pushed his food aside. Maya did the same, and immediately hopped over to his seat to sit astride him, their lips meshing together. These breaks weren't very long, so they couldn't waste time.

"I can hardly focus during scenes you're wearing this costume," Phoenix said, running his hands up along her thighs. He had to thank the costume designer for not adding pantyhose to the outfit, so her legs were deliciously bare.

"Really? I can hardly focus on the scene because I'm so uncomfortable," she said, gasping as his fingers lightly traced her inner thigh.

"You should ask them if you can keep it." Fingers still tracing, slowly making their way further up her leg. He always took his time teasing her, even in a situation where time was of the essence.

"So you can live out your perverted maid fantasies even while at home? I don't think so."

He smiled lazily at her and she covered his lips with hers again, running her fingers through his hair. She pulled back. "Come on, get to it before they start calling for us again."

He sighed. "I hate rushing."

She patted his cheek. "I know, you poor baby. But we don't want anyone to find out about us, right? The fans are crazy."

"Fine." He stood up, easily lifting her with him, and moved to the small love seat at the side of the trailer. He dropped her there and climbed over top of her, lying down between her legs to kiss her again while simultaneously pushing her skirt further up her legs.

She giggled against his kisses as he squirmed against her, trying to get comfortable on the too small sofa.

"They're going to be so mad when they see how wrinkled this dress is," Maya said conversationally while she waited for him to get situated.

"Mhm," he replied, shifting against her yet again.

She was still attempting to stifle her laughs when the trailer door burst open. "Mr. Wright!"

Phoenix's head snapped up and he turned slowly to the assistant standing in the doorway, whose mouth was hanging open as the two lead co-stars of the TV show he was so happy to be a part of untangled themselves from each other. Maya patted down the skirt of her costume as best she could.

"What is it?" Phoenix hissed through his teeth.

"Um… The director wanted to see you about one of your lines." He couldn't seem to help himself for what he said next. "Don't you think they'll get mad when they see how wrinkled your costume got, Miss Fey?"

Maya blushed while Phoenix rubbed a hand over his face. "Apollo, get out!" he said angrily. "Tell them I'll be there in a minute!"

Apollo, the poor assistant, rushed from the trailer, slamming the door shut behind him. Maya tried to laugh it off. "Well that's kind of a mood killer."

Phoenix groaned and leaned back on the sofa. "Yep, a complete mood killer."

"You don't think he'll tell anyone do you?"

"Not after I have a good talk with him he won't."

Maya leaned her head on his shoulder. "Don't be too mean to the poor kid."

He moaned. "Now I'm gonna have to go do another scene with you while wearing that and I haven't gotten out my pent up… well, horniness to be blunt."

Maya giggled and tapped his arm with a finger. "Tell you what. If the designers won't let me keep the costume I'll sneak it out of here somehow. Then we can have a little fun with it later."

"That does make me feel a bit better," he said.

She kissed him on the cheek. "Good. Better get going now, before Apollo comes back."

He nodded and got up. "By the way, there's an extra sandwich in my fridge from earlier. I know they've been keeping you on a short leash when it comes to your meals lately, so you can have it."

Maya moaned. "This is why I love you, Nick. You truly know the way to my heart." He rolled his eyes as she dove to the mini-fridge to get the sandwich, unwrapped it and took a bite. "Mmm, better than sex."

He pouted and left the trailer. He was going to give Apollo a good talking to later about the importance of knocking.


	20. Parents Meeting

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: parents meeting when they take their kids to class au  
Word Count: 1,150

* * *

"Am I late? Have they been let out yet?!"

Maya glanced up at the man who'd just rushed up to her. He looked flustered and nervous, so she shook her head to calm him down. "No, they're just finishing up for the day," she told him. "The teacher should let them out any minute now."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks. It's my daughter's first day of school. Well not her first obviously, but her first with me. I adopted her this summer and it's been kind of hard, not having her there all day."

Maya smiled. "I know the feeling. Mine has been homeschooled until now, and it was really hard to leave her here this morning. She didn't care but _I_ didn't want to leave _her_."

He smiled down at her. "I swear mine practically clung to my leg this morning when I dropped her off. The teacher had to pry her off of me and she looked _so sad_ when I was leaving that I almost went back for her."

Maya giggled behind her hand. "She definitely does sound like a daddy's girl."

He nodded. "Yeah. She's had a difficult year though, so I understood why she was so upset," he said. "I was worried I was late because I didn't want her to think I wasn't coming." Maya tilted her head in a silent question. He sighed. "It's a long story," he said. "Maybe another time."

"Another time?"

He smiled. "I'm just assuming you'll be here to pick up your kid every day. I was guessing I'd see you again."

"Oh, right," she said. "Actually, it's my little cousin I'm here for. I'm her guardian now though, so for all intents and purposes she's sort of my kid. She's _the_ kid I'm picking up, at least. She's more like a little sister to me though."

"I thought you looked a little young to be a mom already," he stated.

She raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's a good thing you were upfront about your daughter being adopted, because I would have been very confused about how you already had a nine year old daughter, seeing as how you look pretty young yourself."

He laughed. "Yeah. People sometimes give us weird looks when we're out if they don't come to the 'she must be adopted' conclusion by themselves."

"She's a lucky little girl. I'm sure you and her mother must be happy together now."

"Actually I'm a single dad," he said bluntly.

"Oh, I see. Well, she's still lucky to have you, from what I've gathered of this very short conversation."

"I try to make sure she never wants for anything," he said. "It's hard, but she deserves it."

Maya looked at him. His gaze was turned towards the doors where the kids would be let out into the yard to play until their parents picked them up. He was taller than her, with broad shoulders and black hair in a very strange, spiky hairstyle. He was dressed casually but not sloppily. There wasn't really anything special about him, but she wouldn't exactly mind seeing him here every day.

She turned her own gaze back towards the school when the door opened and the teacher stepped out to hold the door for all the children as they rushed into the yard. One little girl looked wildly around as soon as she was outside. She stopped when she saw the man standing beside Maya.

"DADDY!" she yelled, running over to the gate. He was already on his way there and as the little girl pushed the gate open, he bent down to scoop her into his arms.

Maya's own ward was making her way over at a much slower pace. Pearl glanced up at her and smiled when she made it through the gate. Maya held her hand out for her to take. "Hey Pearly. How was your day at school today? Make any friends?"

"It was fun!" Pearl said. "And yes I did!"

"Oh really? Who?"

"Her name is Trucy." Pearl turned to look around and then pointed. Maya followed the direction of her finger to find she was pointing at the man she was talking to before, who was now holding his daughter in his arms and talking to her. As she looked, the little girl in his arms turned and pointed at her and Pearl at the same time.

He looked over and smiled, then started to approach her again. His daughter slipped down from his arms. "Hey Pearl!" she said enthusiastically, bounding over with the little cape she had on fluttering behind her.

Pearl greeted her again and they began talking to each other about the school day while mostly ignoring the two adults. The man smiled at her. "Seems the two of them are pretty good friends already."

"Seems that way."

Trucy reached up to tug on his sleeve. "Daddy, can Pearl come sleep over sometime?"

He looked at Maya who smiled and nodded, then back down at Trucy. "Sure, Truce. Maybe on the weekend."

"Yay!" the two girls squealed simultaneously.

"I guess this means we'll be seeing more of each other too," he said to Maya.

"I guess so. Oh," she said, holding out her hand, "I never introduced myself. I'm Maya, and this is Pearl," she said, looking down at her cousin.

He took her hand in his, smiling at her again. She could get used to that smile. "I'm Phoenix, and this is Trucy."

Trucy grinned up at Maya. "Hi Miss Maya! It's nice to meet you!"

"It's nice to meet you too, Trucy."

"Miss Maya, will you be my daddy's new girlfriend? I really want a mommy and you're pretty!"

A laugh burst out of Maya before she could stop it, and Phoenix had already clamped a hand over Trucy's mouth. "I'm so sorry," he said. She could see his blush reaching all the way down his neck. "That's her new thing. Asks any woman she can if they'll date me. Please ignore her."

"It's okay," Maya said, still laughing slightly.

Phoenix took Trucy's hand again and started to lead her away. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

She waved. "Yeah. I'll be here."

Pearl looked up at her as they started to walk towards the car. "Maya, are you and Trucy's daddy friends now?"

"I guess you could say that we are," Maya said.

"He was handsome. You should ask him out on a date."

Maya sighed. Pearl had always been a romantic. This was going to become an ongoing thing, she just knew it. Once Pearl got something like this into her head, she would not stop. Maya didn't respond to her, avoiding the topic by simply not answering.

She had to admit the idea wasn't awful, but she felt like she should probably get to know him for longer than fifteen minutes before jumping into any dating scenarios.


	21. Dysfunctional

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: dysfunctional relationship au  
Word Count: 910

* * *

"So if I understand correctly, you feel as if he's too clingy?"

Tissues are clenched. "I guess so. It's hard to explain what I mean."

"Take your time to work through your thoughts."

A nod of the head, and a more determined look. "Before we started dating he was the one who took care of me, in a way. I was still independent, I still lived on my own when I wasn't visiting and could take care of myself, he just spoiled me a bit when I was around. Even after we started dating, things were okay for the most part. But after a while, all of that switched. He became… so emotional."

"But not in a healthy way?"

"No. He was really loving and sweet to me yes, but it became smothering after a while. If I wanted to go out with friends, he would want to come, and if I said no it was just us girls, he would let me go, but I would come home later and he'd be mad at me."

"How is he with intimacy?"

"That's what's strange about it. When he needs me, he _really_ needs me. He'll be all over me, kissing me, cuddling me, telling me how much he loves and needs me and asking me if I feel the same. Once I tell him yes, I do, he gets over it and he stops. It's almost like he's mad at me, but he's not. He just doesn't feel the need to show _any_ emotion towards me at all. It's confusing for me."

"He does sound like he may have fear of abandonment or loss and once you alleviate his fears, he's okay. Have you ever threatened to leave him? Do you two argue?"

"We argue sometimes, and yes, I will admit I have blurted out how I'll leave him and go back home, but I never mean it."

"When you argue, do either of you assign blame?"

A shake of the head. "Not really. Eventually one of us will just say to forget it or something like that, and it'll be done with. Sometimes it ends when I threaten to leave, even though I never really want to."

"Hm. Do you think he'd be willing to come in to speak with me? One on one first, and then with you here as well?"

"Maybe." A hopeful look. "You don't think our relationship is a lost cause?"

"Not at all. His dependence on you does need to change, but it will take time. If you two still love each other, and neither of you are downright abusive, and neither one of you have already decided on divorce, we can definitely work through your issues."

"I do love him." A sniffle and the tissues come out again. "And I know he loves me. We both just need to find better ways to show it."

* * *

"Do you feel like she doesn't care about you?"

Much more fidgety than his partner. More reluctant to speak, but finally a slight shake of the head. "No. I know she does."

"Do you sometimes think she may leave you?"

"I mean, she threatens to sometimes. She never does but I'm scared that she'll mean it someday."

"Do you think you smother her? Do you let her be independent of you?"

Thinking. "I… I get scared when she's not around."

"Why?"

"We've been through a lot. I've almost lost her multiple times, even before we were together, and I can't stand the thought of losing her and it being my fault. If she's with me wherever I go, then at least I know she's safe."

"What about your previous relationships? Did you have any issues with those that may be causing these feelings?"

A purse of the lips. "Yes, a girlfriend I had in college wasn't who she said she was. That… sort of traumatized me, if I'm being honest."

"Are you afraid that the same thing will happen now?"

More thinking. "No."

"Are you sure?"

"No… I mean, yes. I trust her."

"Do you really?"

A hand swipes through hair. "Yes." It's more firm this time. "Yes, I do trust her. More than anyone else, at least."

"It seems to me you're a little insecure. Do you think that's accurate?"

A nod. "Yeah. I guess that's probably right."

"Good. Not a lot of men are so willing to admit that."

"I want to make this work. Is our relationship salvageable?"

"Yes, I think so. But I'd like to talk to the two of you together next. Are you okay with that?"

"Yes. Of course."

* * *

Despite the problems, the couple still seat themselves closely together, thighs almost touching. Aside from that there's no physical contact between them yet, but it's enough. There's still love between them. They can still fix this.

"The two of you are here due to some issues that have been causing problems with your relationship lately, though it's good to see you both here willingly. That's a good sign."

They both nod. Neither of them seem very happy to be here, but no couple is that happy to be at a marriage counsellor.

"We'll start slow, we'll discuss each of the issues you two have with your relationship, and we'll work through them. Does that sound good?"

They glance at each other. She smiles gently; he takes her hand.

"It sounds good to us," he says.

She nods her agreement. "Yeah. It sounds good."


	22. Exes Meeting Again

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: exes meeting again au  
Word Count: 2,916

* * *

"How was I, Daddy?"

Phoenix smiles at Trucy and wraps her in a tight hug. She's a 32 year old woman now, but she never says no to a hug from him after he comes to see one of her shows. He couldn't be more proud of how successful she's become. She's always on the road, and he only gets to see her when she happens to be stopping in L.A. for a show.

"Great as always, Truce," he assures her.

She beams at him. To him she still looks like that little 8 year old girl he adopted, but the fact that his grandson, an eight year old now himself, is running around them in circles screaming for grandpa makes him remember that that isn't so anymore. Trucy's husband comes over and takes the boy by the hand to bring him back to Trucy's dressing room with an apologetic smile.

Phoenix loves them all, but it makes him feel old. Well, he supposes he _is_ old now, at 50.

"What's wrong, Daddy?" Trucy prods. She still has that knack for knowing when something is bothering him.

"Hm? It's nothing, Trucy. You should go get changed now."

She knows when not to push it. "Okay. Still up for dinner?"

"I wouldn't miss it."

She turns on her heel to head into her dressing room, leaving him alone in the hallway backstage. He doesn't like to intrude when Trucy is in there with her family. He lets her have that time alone with them after a show. He would never admit it to her but he's pleasantly surprised she and her husband have managed to make things work despite her odd hours and all the touring she does away from home. They seem happy at least in front of him, and he hopes it stays that way, because the obstacles they face remind him too much of his own past relationship, one that ultimately ended up failing. Because sometimes it doesn't matter how much you love someone, distance and time apart takes its toll.

He's twiddling his thumbs outside her room when he hears someone coming. He narrows his eyes in the direction of the noise. No one should be back here except friends and family, and tonight he's the only family Trucy has visiting her. It's times like these he really wishes she would hire bodyguards. She doesn't understand how famous she really is.

The two figures approaching from down the darkened hall appear to be dressed in long white dresses or robes of some kind. They definitely look suspicious to him, and he stands up to make sure they aren't trying to sneak in to see Trucy. He's not as intimidating as he used to be, but he's not a decrepit old man either, and he still has it in him to fight for the people he loves if need be.

He can hear the two figures whispering to each other quietly, but can only catch bits and pieces of their conversation.

"…told you we could get in…"

"I still… good idea…"

He's surprised to hear that they sound like women, and lowers his guard, but only a little. If he's learned anything from his years as a lawyer it's that women can be just as dangerous as men. One of the figures looks up, then back down at their companion.

"…bodyguard?"

"Let's leave."

"No… I recognize…!"

He furrows his eyebrows as they approach him, walking a bit faster and no longer attempting to hide the fact that they've snuck backstage. The taller woman lifts her hands to pull down her white hood, revealing glossy black hair and big brown eyes and Phoenix feels his breath catch in his throat.

"Nick?"

She's smiling at him and her companion is removing her hood as well, revealing her own long brown hair, the top half of which is still done up in those pretzel shaped twists. Her smile is just as wide and she surprises him by jumping toward him and wrapping him in a crushing hug.

"Mr. Nick! It's been so long!"

The hug jostles him out of his surprise and he wraps an arm around her. "Pearls… hey."

She pulls away and looks up at him. "After six years, all you can say is hey?"

He smiles at her, but he's too distracted, looking over her head at her companion. Pearl notices and smiles softly, stepping out of his arms to stand aside.

She rushes at him and almost knocks the wind out of him when she hits him, forcing him to take a step back with the momentum before wrapping his arms around her. She buries her face in his chest and it feels so good to hug her again, to breathe in the familiar scent of her shampoo and perfume, to feel her warmth against him. It feels like forever has passed, but also like no time at all. And how strange she would appear just as he was remembering her; _missing_ her.

"Maya," he breathes. "I can't believe you're here."

"How have you been?" she asks, not making any move to pull away from the hug.

"I've been good," he tells her. "How about you? What are you doing here?"

Now she does pull away, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. Her hair is different; it's missing the baubles and topknot he's so used to. It's still long, but it's plain and straight down her back. "We heard that Trucy was performing and wanted to see her," she says.

"Mystic Maya wanted to sneak backstage," Pearl says disapprovingly. "We thought you were Trucy's bodyguard or something, at least until Mystic Maya recognized you."

Maya smiles playfully. "I barely did. You got old, Nick. I can't believe you wear glasses now," she says, reaching up to steal them from his face and slip them on herself. "And to think you used to make so much fun of Edgeworth for needing them!"

He rolls his eyes. She really hasn't changed. Even at 43 she's still teasing and playful. "You got pretty old yourself," he counters. "And please give those back, I need them."

She grins and hands them back over. "I'm still younger than you though, and I always will be."

She's right of course, and besides, she's aged much better than he has. She could easily still pass as a thirty-something. He not so much. He smiles at her. "Right. Well, Trucy is getting changed, and we were going out for dinner after. Do you two want to come? I'm sure she'll be happy to see you."

Maya claps her hands together. "Of course! I never say no to a free meal. You're buying, right Nick?"

* * *

When Trucy finally emerges from her dressing room she and Pearl squeal and hug each other like they're teenagers again. It is strange to think that at one time they were as close as sisters, but even they drifted apart as their jobs and families took more and more of their time. Dinner is pleasant, the conversation steady, but Maya and Pearl don't go into too much detail about their own lives, and Phoenix is curious why.

It isn't until Maya is halfway through her dessert do Trucy and Pearl get that particular look in their eyes. Phoenix has seen that look a thousand times in the past, when they were both still little girls and then well into their teenaged years. Trucy leans over and whispers something to her husband, then turns back to Phoenix as her husband starts digging out his wallet to pay their part of the bill.

"Daddy, we're all going to head back to the house now. Pearl, do you want to come?"

"Yes, please! I'd love to visit with you some more."

"But I'm not done my cake yet," Maya mumbles through her mouthful.

"That's okay, Mystic Maya. You can stay here with Mr. Nick. I'm sure he'll be a gentleman and wait for you. Besides, he's paying your bill, right Mr. Nick?"

"Er, I guess so?"

"Great! We'll see you guys later!" She scurries off to join Trucy and her family, leaving he and Maya alone for the first time since the relationship they tried so hard to save ended up coming to an end. It wasn't a messy separation, it was amicable and they both agreed to it, but it hurt, and it's taken him a long time to get over it. He isn't sure he even is over it. There's never been anyone else, and he doesn't think there ever will be.

An awkward silence falls over them as Maya finishes her cake. He hates it. Things were never awkward between them before. He can't stand it, and starts to pull out his wallet, hoping that Maya will eat faster if she sees that he's getting ready to pay. She does seem to notice, but she surprises him by setting her fork down with another bite or two still left on her plate.

"I'm finished, Nick."

"You sure?"

She nods. "Yeah… Um, do you want to go for a walk? I kind of want to talk to you."

"Sure. It's a nice night." He lays his money on the table with the bill and they both get up to leave the restaurant. Without thinking he places his hand on the small of her back to guide her, and feels her tense. He removes it right away. Old habits die hard, he supposes.

The fresh air outside feels good. It's not too hot but it's not too cold, and the sidewalks aren't packed either. They walk in silence for a few minutes, until Maya slows her paces and starts to speak.

"Nick. How have you been? And don't lie this time."

He raises an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean?"

She sighs. "Please, just tell me that I'm not the only one of us who's been miserable for the past six years."

He stops dead in his tracks, and Maya stops a few steps ahead of him when she realizes he hasn't been following her. She turns around, frowning but meeting his eyes. She comes forward and takes his hand to pull him towards a nearby park where they find a bench to sit down at.

"Maya," he says, "what do you mean, you've been miserable?"

She looks directly at him. "I've spent every day of the last six years regretting leaving you," she states, deciding not to sugarcoat it at all. "I always wanted to visit you after but I never did because I knew it would be impossible for us to be friends again. I loved you too much. I would have wanted to be with you, so I just stayed away."

He isn't sure what to say. This isn't how he expected a reunion with her to go. He expected to hear about how she probably got married to someone more suitable, and maybe had a kid or two by now. He expected to hear about Kurain Village and her job as the Master and about Pearls. He expected her to pretend that nothing had ever happened between them. But that was impossible, wasn't it? Even before they were together they were best friends; practically inseparable for sixteen years, and then five more after that as a couple. Twenty-one years of knowing each other couldn't be forgotten so easily.

"Maya," he says soothingly, "we agreed on it. We lasted longer than most would, but the distance was too far, and neither one of us was willing to give up our jobs to move. We wouldn't have been able to get married that way, or raise kids. It wasn't going to work out and we were both getting older… It was time to move on. It was for the best." He tries to sound confident in his answer, but he knows he's trying to convince himself as much as he is her.

Her bottom lip seems to quiver, but she doesn't cry. "Do you really believe that, Nick? I don't know about you, but my life isn't any different. I never got married. I never had any kids. This sounds like a boring romance movie cliche, but you really are the only man I've ever loved." She smiles. "I came today because I wanted to see Trucy's show, but when we snuck backstage I was secretly hoping you would be there too. It's been so good getting to see you again, Nick, and it's okay if you've moved on. I just needed you to know."

"I was thinking about you, just before you showed up, you know," he blurts out, unsure of what else to say.

"Really?"

He nods, the words coming to him slowly but surely. "But Maya, to be honest, I think about you a lot."

Her smile widens a bit at that. "Is it bad of me to say that I'm glad you do?"

He shakes his head. "Of course not."

"There's something else I wanted to tell you, too."

He looks up, wondering what more she could say. He's sure nothing would surprise him now. "What is it?"

"I'm giving up the title of Master."

He was wrong, he is surprised. "What? Maya, why? After everything you went through to become the Master—"

"Because I hate it," she says calmly. "I've never liked being the Master, Nick, you know that. I did it for my mom and my sister and Pearly, and because Kurain needed a good leader. I've tried to be that for them but I've never enjoyed it. Pearly is ready now. She's been ready since she was a kid, and she wants it, so I'm going to let her have it."

He understands. Maya has sacrificed so much for the good of her village without getting much in return. He can't blame her for wanting to give it up. "What are you going to do now?"

She shrugs. "Live life, I guess. I was hoping maybe… I could visit you more often, since I won't be so busy with Kurain anymore."

He sits forward a bit. "Maya, I'm just going to ask this plainly. You said earlier that you stayed away all these years because you knew that we could never be friends again, so what do you want? Do you want to be friends? Or did you want… something more?"

She swallows, turning away from him shyly. "I guess it was too much to hope that you wouldn't have moved on yet. Of course you have—"

"Maya," he interrupts. "I never said that." He reaches over to place his hand over hers and she looks back at him with wide eyes. "I just want to know what you want."

She takes a deep breath, her eyes beginning to well with tears. "I just want to start over. I want to be your friend again, I want to get burgers with you and watch old movies and fall asleep together on the couch like we used to. I want to hug you and kiss you and fall in love with you all over again."

He smiles and squeezes her hand. "I want you to know that, as romance movie cliche as it is, there's never been anyone else for me either."

She laughs while wiping at her eyes, trying to will away the tears. "Really? Never?"

"Never," he says seriously. "I convinced myself that our separation happened for a reason, that it was a good thing for both of us, but now that you're here right in front of me telling me that you want to start over, I'm realizing that that's all I've ever wanted since the day you left six years ago. I wanted you back. No one else could ever compare."

A single tear manages to escape, rolling down her cheek as she smiles at him. "Has it really been six years, Nick? It doesn't feel like it's been that long since I've seen you. I feel like we could pick up where we left off and nothing would feel any different."

He stands up from the bench and pulls her up by the hand. "Apparently it has been, because according to you, I got pretty old in that time."

She laughs. "You're still pretty handsome though, I'll give you that. Give it another ten or fifteen years though and you'll totally be a silver fox."

"Ugh, don't remind me. I'm envious of you. I didn't notice one grey in your hair."

She leans forward to whisper to him. "That's because I dye my hair."

He laughs, harder than he's laughed in ages, and Maya stands there grinning at him. God, he's missed her so much. "That's a good idea actually," he says once he's caught his breath. "Maybe I should buy some of that Just for Men stuff."

She shakes her head. "Nah. I like it."

"Then I guess it stays."

"Good." Her smile fades to a more serious look. "So… Starting over?"

He wraps an arm around her shoulders as they start back towards the sidewalk. She's right, it feels so natural, it's like nothing has changed. "Yeah. What do you say we go back to the office and watch some of those really old Steel Samurai DVDs you sent me while I was in the hospital that one time? I never could find it in me to get rid of them."

Maya sighs. "I would love nothing more."


	23. Partners in Crime

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: partners in crime au  
Word Count: 577

* * *

"Here Maya, this is for you."

Maya gasps and puts her hand over her heart, fluttering her eyelashes. "Nick! You shouldn't have!"

"You deserve it though," Phoenix says with a smile, motioning for her to turn around. She turns and lifts her hair off her shoulders so he can place the diamond necklace on her. It looks beautiful draped around her slender neck, hanging just above her bosom.

"It matches my dress," she says, grinning at him through the mirror they're standing in front of, in the bedroom of their luxury hotel room. "And my bracelet, and also these earrings." Her dress is a simple black, falling to the floor, a slit in the side up to her hip. Her bracelet and earrings are expensive diamond jewelry as well. Her feet are bare though, and Phoenix is dressed differently, in jeans and a black t-shirt that clings to him, showing off every movement of his muscles beneath.

He wraps his arms around her waist and gazes at her in the mirror. "Beautiful," he murmurs into her ear.

She giggles and turns in his arms to kiss him. "Maybe you should get a watch or something next time. You get all this amazing stuff for me, but never think of anything for yourself."

He shrugs. "I do all of this for you."

She smiles and pushes him towards the bed where they fall down together. Maya makes herself comfortable on top of him, and leans down to continue the gentle kiss.

The TV is on in the room, the volume low, but they both pause in their rather thorough kiss when they hear the story the news anchor is presenting.

 _"Last night yet another jewelry store was robbed, with almost $50,000 worth of jewelry being stolen. These are non-violent crimes and the stores are only hit at night, when there are no employees present. It seems no security system is too much for the two robbers suspected in this and almost six other robberies over the past six months._

 _The suspects in question are described as a man between 5'9" and 5'11", guesstimated at around 170 lbs, and a woman of smaller stature, around 5'2" to 5'5" and approximately 130 lbs. Unfortunately their identities are not anymore detailed than that, but if you have any information please call the anonymous Crime Stoppers line."_

They smile at each other as they listen, and as soon as the news has moved on to their next grim story, they fall all over each other, laughing. Maya rolls off of him onto her back beside him to attempt catching her breath, and Phoenix wipes the tears from his eyes.

Maya sighs and turns her head to look at him. "So do I get to keep this necklace, or are we going to sell it?"

"Nah, you can keep that one. We've still got plenty of money from the others. You heard them, almost $50,000 worth. I'd say that one you're wearing is only worth about $5000 of that."

"Oh, so you gave me the cheapest one then?" Maya says teasingly.

Phoenix smiles at her. "You keep wanting to stay in hotels like this and we might just need to sell it, even if it was the cheapest."

She waves a hand at him. "Nah, we're good."

"You're right. We don't need to worry," he confirms. "Besides… we can hit another store in a month or so."


	24. Terminal

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: terminal illness au  
Word Count: 1,611

* * *

It started so slowly that Maya didn't even notice it at first. Phoenix had always been a little forgetful, so the first time he went to the store and didn't come back with the eggs she'd asked him to pick up for the birthday cake she was making for Pearl's 50th birthday, she just rolled her eyes at him and made fun of how old he was getting.

The first time she really noticed that something was off was on one of their daily drives around town. They were both retired, and they had time to kill, so every day they would take their old car and drive downtown just for something to do. She preferred when Phoenix drove, so she could spend her time looking out the window and people watching while reliving some of her old memories from when she first came to the city from Kurain Village.

She hadn't been paying a lot of attention to where he was going—they didn't really have a set route—but when she realized they were driving down the same road for the third time, she turned from the window to look at him. "Nick, would you mind heading to that ice cream shop we went to the other day? I kind of have a craving."

He nodded silently and continued driving. Maya knew the way he should have taken, but as the minutes passed she realized he wasn't heading anywhere near the shop she wanted, so she turned back to him again. "Uh, Nick? The ice cream shop?"

He glanced at her quickly before turning his attention back to the road. "Oh yeah, right. Where was it again?"

"We were just there two days ago…"

"I know, sorry, I just can't remember exactly where it was."

"It's on Canal Boulevard."

A beat of silence. "And how do I get there from here?"

She told him the directions, not making a big deal out of it in front of him, but deep down in her heart she knew something was wrong.

* * *

It progressed faster than Maya believed it would. Phoenix didn't seem to realize it was even happening. Sure, he _knew,_ he'd been diagnosed and his memory wasn't that bad yet, but he didn't realize it as it was happening. Maya was the one who noticed how he would struggle to remember names of people he'd just met, or how he'd come home without half the groceries he was supposed to get, or how he'd have to call her on his cell phone for directions home because he couldn't remember the way. One time he came out of the bedroom dressed like he was going to the beach, and Maya had to remind him that they were going into the mountains near Kurain where it was practically winter and he had to be dressed warmer. Eventually she started having to choose his clothes for him, because he never knew what seemed appropriate for the weather.

She had to take his money away from him, and start paying more attention to the bills herself. It was always something he took care of, ever since they were young, but he began getting more confused and frustrated as time wore on, and Maya decided it was time she do it; to take the pressure off of him but also to be sure they were being done properly.

Another time, Trucy was visiting with their granddaughter, and she mentioned to her daughter how grandpa had once run across a burning bridge like some sort of crazy superhero just to attempt saving grandma. Her daughter had rolled her eyes and said that she'd heard the story a thousand times, but Phoenix had turned to Maya with an incredulous look on his face. He didn't remember it. That had made her more sad than any of the other moments so far. When she'd learned that he'd done that for her back when she was a teenager, that was one of the moments she realized how much she loved him. And he didn't remember it.

As he got worse, he started to confuse people. He would call Trucy by Pearl's name or vice versa, and though they were both aware of his condition, Maya could see the hurt in their eyes whenever he did so. They knew it was inevitable, that eventually he wouldn't recognize them at all, but that didn't stop it from hurting.

One of the worst times for Maya was the day he called her by her sister's name. She thought she'd misheard him, and when she asked him to repeat himself he didn't seem to remember why he was even talking to her. But she knew what she'd heard. He had called her Mia. That had caused her to go to the bathroom to cry where he couldn't see her.

* * *

A few years into it, his personality began to change as well. Her once loving and easygoing husband became suspicious of her and anyone else, became aggravated over small things that to him were Herculean, but at the same time never wanted to be left alone. Not that she would leave him anyway. He needed her now.

He remembered her for the most part. The time he called her by Mia's name was the only time he forgot who she was, but he would still often confuse Pearl and Trucy, or forget his granddaughter's name. Eventually he stopped recognizing them when they would come to visit and Maya would have to explain to him who they were. He would always act like he understood, but she got the feeling he didn't really believe her and was simply playing the part of a doting father and grandfather to these women he considered strangers.

She never got frustrated at him. Even when he would wander off and Maya would eventually find him in the yard somewhere, not knowing where he was, even when he would ask her the same questions over and over again. She would simply answer him calmly, as if it was the first time.

* * *

Eventually Pearl and Trucy convinced Maya to move Phoenix into a home. He was entering the final stages of the disease and it was becoming too tiring for Maya to continue being the only one there to care for him. Trucy had her own family to take care of, and Pearl had to attend to her Master's duties. And Maya was in her late sixties herself. Though her mind was all there, she wasn't as physically fit or as strong as she used to be, and even in his old age and in the final stages of a disease that was bound to kill him within the year, Phoenix was still a lot bigger than her. She just couldn't do it anymore.

Soon enough he did stop recognizing her too. It broke her heart the day he had to ask her what her name was. She went home and cried herself to sleep that night. It was the first time she had to admit to herself that his death was inevitable. She was going to lose him. The only thing that made her feel any better was that on some deeper level he still knew that she, Pearl, and Trucy were important to him, even if he didn't know who they were. Once she explained that she was his wife of over 30 years, or that Trucy and Pearl were his daughters, he would relax. It would make him feel better, and she'd just talk to him. About their life, about their kids and grandchild. To him it must have been like a story, and Maya always enjoyed telling it.

The end of the disease was hard to watch him go through. Speech and movement became limited, but Maya talked enough for the both of them. She was sure he could hear and understand her. If she could talk him through the end of it, she'd be glad.

When the day finally came, with Trucy, Pearl, and their granddaughter surrounding him, Maya was almost happy. She didn't want to say goodbye to him, but she didn't want to watch him suffering anymore either. He deserved to finally rest. She didn't let go of his hand or stop murmuring how much she loved him and that it was okay to go, up until the moment it happened.

When he was gone, she managed not to cry in front of the other girls. She was the matriarch they all looked up to, even Pearl who had taken over the position of Master almost ten years prior. Maya had to be there for them in that moment, and she was.

When she got home that night, already dreading upcoming funeral preparations, she had to wonder what he would be like if he were channeled. Would his mind be all there? Could she talk to him again the way he'd been before he began forgetting? Would they be able to reminisce about his more famous trials? About their early days as his assistant, and falling in love and getting married after almost 13 years of friendship? About how their first dance as a married couple had gone horribly because neither of them could dance and neither of them had practiced? About Trucy's wedding and the birth of their only grandchild, or how proud they were when Pearl finally succeeded Maya as Master? About the years before he started forgetting, 30 plus years into their marriage, elderly but still happy and in love?

Perhaps she would have to find out. She didn't think she could wait for her own death to see him again.


	25. Partners in Crime V2

Pairing: Athena/Apollo  
Prompt: partners in crime au  
Word Count: 927

* * *

Athena is going to kill Apollo after this. This is not how the heist was supposed to go. Their combined specializations of hearing plus sight usually make for easy jobs, but something went wrong this time. They got separated, and their powers never worked as well when they were going solo.

It's what attracted them to each other in the first place. Working with someone who made the job easier was always a bonus, and the thrill of pulling off successful heists for very rich clients made that attraction into something more… physical. Every time they managed to pull one off, they would find a hotel somewhere to stay the night, and let out their pent up stress and the adrenaline of the night with each other.

Eventually she found herself actually falling in love with him. She knew at the time that it was a bad idea. She'd seen so many cop movies or TV shows where the two partners in crime were in love, and it never ended well for at least one of them.

In this case, she is that one.

At the museum their clients wanted a particular painting stolen from, Apollo had successfully turned off their security system. Or so they thought. Once inside, a silent alarm must have gone off. She heard the police first, but in the ensuing chaos, Apollo was the only one to escape.

She thought he would have come for her. She knows that was stupid too. She can't expect him to risk his own freedom to try saving her, not while she's locked in the Detention Center awaiting her trial. She didn't kill anyone, so at least she knows the death penalty isn't an option, but she's really not looking forward to prison life. On the plus side, she's only nineteen, so by the time she's released with good behaviour, she'll only be in her forties. She knows they'll be adding years to her sentence because of how many of these heists she's been a part of.

She sniffs back the tears as she thinks that, and curses Apollo yet again for abandoning her. She'll go to jail and he'll live the next ten years or so free, assuming he finally quits the business after such a close call.

She's still pouting in her jail cell when an officer comes to get her. She looks confused when he unlocks the cell. "You have a visitor," he says gruffly.

She stands up and smooths out the jumpsuit they'd given her to wear. She has no idea who would be visiting her. Surely it's not Apollo, he wouldn't risk himself like that.

When she makes it to the visitor's room, she's shocked to see that it _is_ Apollo. He's with another man, but Athena ignores him and runs to the glass. Apollo gives her a look, and glances behind her at the officer still in the room with her. She understands. _Don't make a big deal,_ is what he's trying to convey to her.

"It's good to see you, Athena," he says, sitting down in the chair on the other side of the glass.

She nods, trying to hold back her tears. She's so happy he's come to see her. He hasn't abandoned her after all. "You too, Apollo. But why are you here? I didn't think you'd come…"

Apollo presses his lips together and glances at the officer behind her again. He's not facing them, giving them _some_ semblance of privacy, so he mouths an ' _I love you'_ to her before speaking again. "I'm assuming you don't have anyone to represent your case yet?" he says, sounding all official.

She smiles at him and shakes her head no. "Just some state appointed attorney. One of the officers even said he knows the guy I got is a hack and I'm sure to get the full sentence."

"Well," Apollo says. "I've been told they caught you red-handed, so some sort of punishment is in the future for sure. But… I've brought someone with me who can help you get a deal."

Athena's eyes travel behind Apollo to the other man with him. He hasn't said anything at all, he's just standing back respectfully while she and Apollo talk, pretending he can't hear them. When Apollo turns around to introduce him, he finally steps forward.

"Athena, this is Phoenix Wright. He's a criminal defense attorney, a good one, and he's going to help us."

Phoenix just smiles and nods at her. He knows she's a criminal, caught red-handed as Apollo said, but it's his job to make sure her trial is fair, so she'll put her trust in him and hope she can get a deal. She only hopes the deal has nothing to do with throwing her accomplice under the bus. Perhaps she can tell them about the client who hired them to do the heist instead.

Her mind goes back to what Apollo has just said. He said 'us'. He still considers them two parts of a whole, as they'd told each other so many times in the past. He's not going to abandon her.

She places her hand against the glass. "Will you wait for me, Apollo?" she whispers into the microphone. It's so quiet she's not sure Apollo will even hear it. But his powers of perception seem to kick in, and he watches her lips as she speaks, reading the words instead of hearing them.

He smiles and places his hand on the glass where hers is. "Of course I will, Athena."


	26. Still Friends?

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: Breaking up but remaining friends  
Word Count: 1,631

* * *

Maya thought they would be perfect together. The first time she worked up the courage to tell him how she felt, and he told her he felt the same, she was so happy. When she kissed him for the first time and he actually kissed her back, she thought for sure they would be together forever. That he was the one. She would marry him and they would have a few kids and they'd be happy until they were old and grey.

Maybe it was because everyone else seemed to think so too. Pearl, of course, had always thought that her and Phoenix were meant to be. That he was her knight in shining armour. And he was, even before their relationship blossomed beyond friendship. And when they did make their relationship official people congratulated them on finally getting together, as if it was something they all knew would happen eventually, and that it was about time.

People were so sure they were the perfect couple. And for a long time _Maya_ was so sure they were the perfect couple. After all, they were best friends. Wasn't that one of the fundamental things in a good relationship; that your partner was supposed to be your best friend? Weren't they supposed to listen to your problems and try to make them better? Weren't they supposed to support you and trust you and just _be there_ with you? Phoenix did all of that for her and she for him. She loved him, and he loved her. She was sure of that. There was no part of her that doubted it. They had their ups and downs like every couple, but in the end things always worked out.

Until they didn't. When they were younger, future plans didn't seem to matter. They were young, they had time to figure it out. But time wore on, Maya became the Master in Kurain, Phoenix got his badge back and began to work again, their jobs keeping them hours apart and shortening the time they had at night to spend together, with neither of them willing to move. Phoenix already had Trucy and didn't seem too inclined or bothered about having more children, while Maya wanted to have kids of her own. They normally had such good communication, but when issues like that began to pop up, Maya often found herself pushing them to the side, wanting to deal with them later, because she knew the sort of conversation they would lead to… The type that begged the question: was their relationship still working?

She wasn't too surprised the day Phoenix caught her during one of her favourite shows and told her they needed to talk. She tried to complain about missing her show but he seemed to know that if he didn't do it then and there, he wouldn't get the chance. She knew it was time; she'd been putting off this discussion for far too long, so finally she switched the TV off and turned on the couch to face him.

When he took her hands in his—gently, he was always so gentle with her—she knew it was bad. She knew nothing he was going to say would make her happy. He took a deep breath while she sat and waited for him to break her heart, trying her best not to cry before he even said anything. Maybe she would be wrong.

When she finally managed to look up at him, he took it as the cue to start. "Maya, we've both been putting off this discussion for a while so I think it's about time we finally have it. We need to talk about… _us."_

There it was. She squeezed his hands and nodded. "Okay…"

"I'm sorry to jump right into heavy stuff like this but… I wanted to start off with, well, our futures. I feel like we're sort of at this stand still right now because we're at different points in our lives and neither of us are sure what to do."

Now was her chance to let him know what she wanted. "I think you already know what I want to do," she said. "And I know that you don't want the same things."

"What are those things?"

"Kids," she stated bluntly. "And moving in together, which neither of us are willing to compromise on. Maybe marriage someday in the future, but how will that work if neither of us wants to move?"

He nodded slowly. "I thought so. So what does this mean for us?" She shrugged. She didn't want to be the one to say it. Phoenix sighed. "Maybe we should take a break, then."

A single tear slipped down her cheek at his words. A "break". That was just what couples said when they didn't want to admit their relationship had run its course, when they still wanted to pretend there might be a chance.

"You could go back to Kurain for a bit," he continued. "So we can both focus on other things for a while."

"Nick, just tell me we should break up. Don't try to gloss over it," she said sadly. "Going on a break won't do us any good if we're both set on what we want. We're not compatible, at least not when it comes to our futures."

"Maya…"

She sniffed as more of her tears began to fall, and she pulled her hand from his grip to wipe at them.

Phoenix wrapped an arm around her to pull her into a hug, so she clung to him, her tears soaking the front of his shirt as she cried. "I'm sorry, Maya," he said. She could hear in his voice that he was trying not to get too emotional. He was trying to be strong for her like he always did. "I just want you to be happy, and you won't be happy if you stay with me," he murmured, stroking her hair lovingly. "We want different things, and you deserve to find someone who wants the same things as you, someone who can make you happy."

"You _do_ make me happy though, Nick."

He pushed her back by the shoulders to look her in the eyes. "Not happy enough. You shouldn't have to settle for me, Maya. You're still young and so beautiful, not to mention funny and just…" he sighed. "You're amazing. Anyone would consider themselves lucky to be with you."

He pressed his hand against her neck, just under her ear, and used his thumb to wipe her tears. She wrapped her fingers around his wrist, not wanting him to move his hand from her face.

"Nick… We can still be friends, can't we?"

He looked surprised that she even had to ask. "Of course. That will never change. Didn't I say a long time ago that I would never desert you?"

She smiled through her tears and nodded. He smiled right back at her and pulled her into another hug, placing a kiss against her forehead. "I'll always be here for you no matter what, Maya. And I'll always love you, just in a different way, okay?"

She nodded again and wrapped her arms around his back to hold onto him. She wanted to remember the feeling of his arms around her, the scent of his aftershave and the sound of his voice as he whispered comforting words to her.

Once she was all cried out, she went home to Kurain like Phoenix had suggested. They both thought it best that while they would remain friends, they did need to spend at least a few days apart. She was scared to leave; scared that despite their promises that they would always be friends and they would always love each other as friends do, they would still drift apart.

Thankfully, after a week of being in Kurain and not seeing Phoenix at all, and not even talking on the phone or texting, she went back to the city with Pearl to visit again. It was hard not to act like a couple, not to hug him or kiss him in greeting, or hold his hand while walking together, or lean against him while watching a movie, but they managed, and she found herself enjoying her visit.

She knew after that that Phoenix was right. He would always be there for her, and she for him, just in a different way. Things would go back to how they had been before their relationship became romantic. They'd always been best friends, and they would continue to be best friends.

People were surprised when they found out about the break up. They would say it was a shock, that they seemed like such a perfect couple. Maya could only shrug and explain that it was a mutual decision and there were no hard feelings between the two of them; that they were still friends. People always seemed impressed that they had managed to stay close despite their break up. Maya herself was glad of it, if it had been a messy split she was sure she wouldn't have been able to handle it as well as she did. She couldn't stand life without Phoenix in it in some capacity.

She still knew it would take her a while to get over him, that it would take a while before she would be ready to find that someone else who could make her happier than he could, but she was okay with that. She would take her time, and simply let life take its course. Phoenix would still be in her life, and she was grateful for that.

All she needed was his friendship, and since their first meeting he'd provided that for her. She knew he wasn't about to stop.


	27. Best Friend's Partner

Pairing: Maya/Apollo  
Prompt: falling in love with best friend's partner  
Word Count: 800

* * *

Maya woke to the tickling sensation of her bedmate trailing his fingers lightly down her side. She liked the feeling, so she pretended she was still asleep, but her lover was so in tuned with her now that even without his bracelet, which she'd made him take off the night before, he could tell she was awake.

"Maya," he whispered, brushing her hair over her shoulder to lean forward and place a kiss between her shoulder blades. "I know you're not sleeping."

She groaned and rolled onto her back to face him. "Apollo, can't you just pretend you can't tell?"

He leaned over her to place a kiss against her lips this time. She kissed him back, letting her hand roam up his back and his shoulders to rest on his neck. When they pulled apart, he smiled down at her. "I just wanted to see you before I went back to my room."

She glanced at the alarm clock on her bedside table. "You've seen me. Now you should get back to your room, before anyone else wakes up." He sighed, but sat up, resting his elbows on his knees. Maya didn't need a magic bracelet to know something was bothering him. She sat up too, placing a hand on his back. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I love you, you know."

She leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek. "I love you too, Apollo. Now really, you should go." He stared at her, making her tilt her head at him. "What?"

"I need to tell her soon, Maya. I can't keep lying like this. I already feel like a scum bag."

She glanced down at the sheets, still rubbing comforting circles into his back. "I know… We will soon, okay? I promise. Believe me, I want her to know too… I'm just scared. It'll break her heart. She'll hate me."

"She'll get over it. It's not the end of the world."

Maya rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but for her, it'll seem that way."

He nodded. "Alright. Soon."

He crawled out of the bed and Maya watched as he found his clothes and pulled them back on before leaving the room to go back to his own. They always did this when everyone visited Kurain together. If Phoenix and Trucy were also visiting, it was a good excuse for Apollo to come down too, and they always made the most of it.

Maya laid back down to go back to sleep. She enjoyed her time with Apollo, she really truly did love him, but every time he left her bed to go back to his, she was overwhelmed with guilt and shame. Hiding their relationship was making it worse, but she was so scared to tell. She'd stolen someone else's boyfriend and fallen in love with him. In the beginning she told herself that what started as a drunken mistake wouldn't go any further, but it did. He'd wanted to break off his other relationship from the very beginning, but she begged him not to. Now she was just putting it off, and the longer she did the worse it was going to get.

* * *

A few hours later she woke again and got out of bed, dressing herself in her pyjamas and heading down to the kitchen of Fey Manor, where she could smell something delicious. Everyone else was already awake. Phoenix smiled at her when she entered the room, and she returned it. Trucy greeted her with a wave. Pearl was the one who got up and came to give her a hug. Maya wrapped her arms around her cousin and squeezed her tightly.

"What's for breakfast?"

"Eggs and bacon, Mystic Maya," Pearl said, going back to the stove to get a plate for Maya.

"You're such a good cook, Pearly," Maya stated. "I'm lucky to have you."

Pearl placed the plate on the table where Maya took her seat, then went back to her own chair beside Apollo. She leaned over to peck Apollo on the cheek. "Apollo says the same thing, don't you?"

He smiled at her and nodded. "Of course. I'm lucky to have a girlfriend that's such a good cook. You need to teach me."

Pearl giggled and grabbed onto his arm to rest her head against his shoulder. Trucy made a "bleh" face at Phoenix, who laughed at her. Maya forced a smile too, but inside she felt like she was dying.

She wasn't sure how much more of this she could take. They really would have to come clean soon. It would break Pearl's heart, she would probably never be able to look at Maya the same way again, but it would have to be done.

But for now, Maya simply shut up, ignored it, and took a bite of her bacon.


	28. Childhood Friends

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: childhood best friends au  
Word Count: 2,042

* * *

"Phoenix! Get down here!"

Phoenix pauses the video game and turns to Larry, who's seated on the floor beside him, the second player controller gripped in his hands. He rolls his eyes and makes a face at Larry, who only smiles with sympathy.

"Better go see what she wants, Nick. I'll wait here."

"Yeah, probably just wants me to take out the trash or something," Phoenix says, setting his controller down and getting up. He heads out of his bedroom and down the stairs towards the front door to see what his mother wants, before she has the chance to call for him again.

"Yeah, mom?"

His mother turns from the open door where another woman is standing on the stoop. "Come here, Phoenix. I want you to meet the new neighbours."

He comes forward and peers around his mother. Along with the older woman are two girls, one older than him and one about the same age. The older girl looks bored, but the younger is staring into his house with an excited expression.

"This is Miss Fey, and this is Mia and Maya," she says, gesturing first to Mia and then to Maya, "our new neighbours."

Miss Fey smiles and waves at him. "Nice to meet you, Phoenix."

He waves back at her. "Nice to meet you too."

Mia rolls her eyes and takes her cell phone out of her pocket. "Can we go now, mom?"

"Oh, alright. It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Wright. I hope we can be good neighbours."

His mother laughs. "Oh compared to the people who used to live there, I'm sure you'll be fine."

The younger girl continues staring at Phoenix with a smile until he slinks back upstairs before his mom can stop him, and sits back down beside Larry, picking up his controller again.

"What did she want?" Larry asks as Phoenix unpauses the game.

"New neighbours. She just wanted to introduce me. They have two daughters, one of them looks about our age."

Larry grunts. "Bros before hoes, dude."

"What? What does that even mean?"

Larry shrugs. "I don't know. Just something I heard my dad say once. It means, your guy friends have to come before your girl friends, okay?"

Phoenix focuses back on the game. "Whatever you say."

* * *

A few days later, his mom calls him down from his room again. When he gets downstairs and sees that the younger girl is at the front door, he's grateful that Larry isn't over. His mom invites her in and tells him he should get to know her, that she's new to the neighbourhood and wants to make friends.

Larry's not around, so Phoenix smiles pleasantly and invites her up to his room to play. It turns out that Maya—despite all the awful things Larry had said about girls—is into a lot of the same things as him. She loves Signal Samurai just as much, if not more than he does. She tells him she doesn't have any video games at her house but she'd love to try his, and she's a natural at them. Instead of being jealous of her skill, he asks her to help him beat one of the levels he and Larry have been stuck on for days. By the time his mom calls them downstairs for dinner, they've beaten the level and a few after it too.

When they say goodbye at dusk and his mom watches her walk back to her house, Phoenix does feel like he's made a new friend, and he's excited to see her again.

The next time Maya is over, Larry invites himself over too, and Phoenix's mom lets him in without even letting him know. When Larry bursts into his room and sees Maya sitting on the floor in Larry's usual spot, the video game controller in her hand, he frowns.

"Hey Nick."

"Oh, hey Larry," Phoenix says awkwardly. "This is Maya, the girl from next door. I've been hanging out with her a bit."

Larry nods and sits down on the bed. Phoenix can tell he's sulking, and maybe Maya can too, because she immediately gives up her spot on the floor and hands the controller over to him. "Here you go, Larry. I know you usually play with Nick."

Larry shoots her a glare. "Who said you could call him 'Nick'? Only I call him 'Nick'."

Maya looks surprised. "Um… he did. He said his friends call him that, so…"

"Larry," Phoenix says, hoping to distract him, "come help me beat this level. We're having a hard time."

Thankfully, it does distract him, and he sits down on the floor where Maya was to take her spot. She sits cross-legged on the bed behind them and watches them play until eventually, she excuses herself to go home.

Phoenix feels bad, but he doesn't want to say anything to Larry. Larry was his friend first, after all. But as soon as Maya is gone, Larry turns to him to scoff about how girls suck at video games and it's no wonder they couldn't beat the level. Phoenix doesn't bother pointing out the fact that Maya helped him beat the level Larry couldn't.

* * *

When the first day of fourth grade starts, Phoenix is a little disappointed to find out that Maya and her sister are both homeschooled. He'd been looking forward to having classes together. The only good thing about it is that Larry won't be able to say anything about him and Maya to their class. They also meet a new boy, Miles, who's quiet and serious. He's grateful the day Miles and Larry stand up to the teacher and the rest of the class when he's accused of stealing someone's lunch money, and from then on the three of them are inseparable at school.

He still looks forward to hanging out with Maya after school. Miles gets along with her better than Larry does, which Phoenix is happy about. Larry starts being nicer to her the day he takes his teasing of her too far, and Phoenix snaps at him to shut up. Miles nods and agrees that it's not very gentlemanly to be so rude to a girl.

From then on Larry makes a conscious effort to be nicer to her. He's always been one to go with the group, not wanting to be left out. Phoenix can tell Maya is grateful too. Soon enough she and Larry get along well enough, and the four of them consider each other best friends, until the day Miles disappears from their lives. None of them know for sure what happened, but Phoenix's mother tells them all gently that he had to move away, and wouldn't be back to visit them. It's a sad day for all of them.

* * *

As the years go by, Larry gets in with another crowd. They're class clowns that Phoenix can't stand, and he starts to hang out with Larry less outside of school. Luckily, he still has Maya. He can't help sometimes feeling awkward around her. As a teenaged boy he can't help noticing how pretty she's gotten, or fantasizing about what it would be like to kiss her someday. It's just an innocent fantasy, they're only friends and he could never jeopardize their friendship on the off chance she might like him back. He wouldn't risk their friendship for anything.

He still asks her to prom though. He has no one to go with, she's homeschooled so she wouldn't normally go, but she jumps on the opportunity to be able to get a nice dress and have a night out for once.

When Maya comes over that night, his mom goes crazy taking pictures of them, causing all sorts of embarrassment for them both. But the dance is nice, and when they come home that night they get some popcorn and go down into the basement—since Phoenix's mother won't allow them in his room alone anymore, though she really has no reason to worry since Maya would never want him _that_ way—and watch a movie. For whatever reason, Maya chooses a horror flick, and spends most of the movie with her face buried in his shoulder to hide from the jump scares.

He walks her home that night, even if it is just a house away. She thanks him for inviting her and even though she pauses, even though it's a perfect moment to kiss her, he doesn't. He just goes home and goes to bed.

A few weeks later when they're hanging out in his basement again, playing a new game on a new console he got for Christmas, Maya gets a text and quickly excuses herself. When he questions her, she tells him shyly that she has a boyfriend now, so she's going to hang out with him.

He lets her go, feeling a little disappointed but not outright heartbroken. Sure he has a tiny crush on her, sure she's pretty much his only friend now that Larry has other people to spend time with, but he wants her to be happy.

* * *

Maya and her boyfriend stay together a surprisingly long time. Phoenix assumes that like most couples at his high school, they'll be together a month or so and then break up. But she seems to really like this guy, whoever he is. It's evident in the way she talks about him when she's visiting Phoenix. She still makes a point of hanging out with him, which he's happy about, even if he has to hear all about the great things her boyfriend does. He wants to take this other boy's place so badly it practically aches.

By the end of his senior year of high school Phoenix is already accepted into university. It's a general studies course focusing a lot on art, because he still has no idea what he wants to do with his life, but he's moderately talented when it comes to drama and art class. He's studying for one of his final high school exams when Maya bursts into his room. His mother is at work and she's let herself in.

When he looks at her he knows right away that something is wrong, and stands up to greet her. Her eyes fill with tears and she runs to him, grabbing him and burying her face into his chest.

"Maya, what happened?"

She sniffles, too embarrassed to look up at him. "He broke up with me."

He strokes her hair, feeling terrible that this news actually makes him feel a little happy. "Oh no. Why?"

"He's going to a school out of state after the summer."

Phoenix leads her to his bed and sits with her at the edge. "But we haven't even graduated high school yet."

She sniffles and shrugs. "I guess he didn't want to put it off. But we've been having problems lately anyway. I wouldn't even be so upset if he didn't do it over _text_ of all things. I don't even deserve to be broken up with face to face apparently."

He wraps an arm around her shoulders. "He's a jerk, Maya. You'll be better off without him."

She smiles. "I hope so. At least I still have you, right?"

He nods. "Yeah. You can come visit me at Ivy U whenever you want, since it's local."

"I'll miss you when I can't visit though." She sighs. "I wish I could go too, but we can't afford it. I'm not smart enough to get scholarships like you."

"Don't say that. You're plenty smart. You'll end up doing something awesome anyway. You don't _need_ to go to college."

She sighs. "Maybe. Anyway… thanks Nick." She leans up to kiss him on the cheek quickly, then moves away. He can see the blush appearing on her cheeks, but he's sure it's nothing compared to how red his face must be.

He clears his throat and gets off the bed to look underneath of it. He comes out with the controller to his old game system, the one they played when they were only eight years old. "Want to play some games? Like old times, to take your mind off it?"

Maya grins and nods. "Yeah. I'd love that."


	29. Nuts

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: From OTP Prompts on Tumblr. "Imagine Person A texting Person B in great detail about how much A loves them. B's only response is "*nuts*" to which Person A takes everything back. "  
Word Count: 435 (?)

* * *

 _\- I miss you, Maya._

 _\- Why do you live so far away._

Phoenix set his phone down. Maya usually responded almost right away when he started texting her first, and especially if he started out with something like that. He wasn't going to worry though; she was probably just busy. If something had happened, Pearl would have called.

He decided to continue with his messages. Might as well give Maya something nice to read when she was able to look at her phone.

 _\- I miss your smile. That smile never fails to make ME smile._

 _\- I miss your laugh, for the same reason._

 _\- I love how short you are even though you hate it, because it makes me look taller when I stand beside you._

 _\- And that gorgeous hair. I wish you were here so I could run my fingers through it._

 _\- Mayaaaa why aren't you answering me?_

Okay, so he was getting a little impatient. He was bored at work and his girlfriend was ignoring him. He rested his chin in his hand while he thought of what else to say. There was no point sexting her if she wasn't at her phone to see it. That'd just make him feel stupid.

 _\- Your legs are awesome, by the way. Pretty sure I've told you that before but it bears repeating. I remember when you started wearing those new Master's robes. Wooow. I'm pretty sure you show them off more often now just to tease me._

 _\- But seriously all I really want is a kiss. That'd make my day ten times better. Your kisses are always so sweet._

 _\- I really do miss you, Maya. I hope everything is okay. I love you._

He set his phone down at the side of his desk and went back to his work. A few seconds later, he heard his phone buzz. He grabbed for it to view Maya's single response.

 _\- *nuts*_

He sighed in exasperation at her message. Leave it to Maya to respond to his mostly sweet messages with one word. He sighed and typed another message out to her.

 _\- Really, Maya? I take back everything I just said._

He waited for her response, which came right away.

 _\- I'm sorry, Nick! Want me to send you a pic of my boobs to make you feel better?_

He rolled his eyes, but paused for a second. No one else was in the office at the moment. Athena was out on an investigation and Trucy was at school. He typed another message out to her.

 _\- Well, okay. I won't say no to that._

* * *

I originally wrote this on Tumblr and used a bunch of emojis so if you want to read that version, my Tumblr is also boo2020.


	30. Together

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: Phoenix gets home in a bad mood due to work stress. Maya assures him she's there to help.  
Word Count: 1,017

* * *

Maya flinches as the door behind her slams shut, and she turns in her seat to see Phoenix entering the room, briefcase in hand. He throws it down against his desk roughly, causing Maya to flinch again. When he doesn't greet her or come over to kiss her hello, she knows he's not in a good mood.

"Nick?"

He only grunts a quick hello before sitting down at his desk and flipping open his laptop. Maya pouts, resting her head on her arms as she leans on the back of the couch, staring at Phoenix as he frowns at his computer.

"Niiiick?"

Finally he looks up at her. "What?"

"You didn't say hi to me."

"Yes, I did."

"Not properly."

He rolls his eyes. "I'm busy, Maya. Edgeworth has been up my ass about some stuff I still need to deal with concerning our investigation in Khura'in, and I just need to get it done so he'll finally shut up about it."

Maya snorts. "Edgeworth _wishes_ he was up your ass. Or that you were up his—"

" _Maya_ ," Phoenix says, looking up at her, a warning tone in his voice. "You know I don't like when you make fun of him like that."

"I'm sorry." She pats the couch beside her. "Come here, Nick. Say hi to me _properly_."

He sighs but finally gets up and walks around the couch to lean down and peck her on the cheek. "Hello my dear sweet precious Maya."

Maya rolls her eyes. "Don't get sarcastic."

"Like I said, I have lots of work, so…"

She reaches out to grab his wrist before he can retreat again. "Nick, sit. Just rest for a minute."

She can almost see some of the tension drain from him as he sits heavily beside her. She reaches over to take his hand, running her thumb comfortingly across his knuckles. "Are you okay?"

He nods, letting his head fall back against the couch. "Yeah. I'm just stressed out. There's this stuff with Edgeworth, and now that Apollo is gone we're busier here than ever, but at the same time Athena still isn't comfortable defending on her own so I can't really take on any cases at the same time as her since I have to mentor her, so money is getting tight again. I honestly don't know what I would do without Trucy using her money from her shows to help pay the bills."

Maya pulls on his arm. Phoenix sighs, but finally gives in, and leans down into her embrace, allowing her to wrap her arm around him. She's so small compared to him, he's usually the one holding her, but as he rests his head against her shoulder he feels calm wash over him, and he feels grateful that she's there.

She strokes his hair gently. "I'm sorry, Nick. If you need money you can ask me, you know. I have my own money now and I'm happy to help you out, you know that, right? We're partners now. We have to take care of each other."

"I know. I just hate feeling like I can't provide for you and Trucy."

"Like I said, we're partners. You don't need to take care of me, we take care of each other."

"Mm. You're right."

"Of course I'm right."

They're quiet for a few minutes, Maya still gently strokes his hair as he rests his eyes, trying not to get too sleepy.

"Hey, Nick?" Maya says, her voice quiet.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think it would help if I assisted Athena on her next case? That way you can take a case at the same time without worrying about her being on her own? I've been your assistant long enough to be able to help her if she needs it, I think."

"What about your job in Kurain?"

Maya shrugs. "Pearly pretty much takes care of everything nowadays. I'm sure she won't mind if I have to come here to help out with a case."

Phoenix is quiet while he thinks. It _would_ help tremendously, and though he does like having someone to help him during his trials as well, he has more than enough experience to take them on alone. Athena needs the help more than he does.

"That could definitely help out, Maya," he says, finally sitting up again. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. I've always loved helping you out in court. And besides, I think Athena's more scared of being alone than she is of defending. So long as I'm there with her she'll probably be fine."

He nods thoughtfully. "Yeah. I'll run it by Athena to make sure she's comfortable with it." He smiles at her and leans over to kiss her. "Thank you, Maya."

She smiles. "You're welcome."

He runs a hand through his hair and blows out a breath. "Okay, I feel a bit better, but I still have that stuff to do for Edgeworth. I really do have to get back to work now, okay?"

Maya nods. "I understand. Let me know if you need any help with it."

He nods as he gets up. "I will. Maybe you could go get us dinner while I work? I can take another break when you get back so we can eat."

Maya stands up and smoothes her robes down. "Sure. Any preference?"

He shakes his head, "You know what I like." He bends down to give her one more kiss on the forehead.

Maya swats him away playfully before slipping her sandals on at the door. She looks back once more on her way out, at Phoenix as he sits back down behind his desk. He always has tried to do too much for her, never letting her help him. Even when he was disbarred it was difficult to make him understand that she _wanted_ to help.

Now that they're finally, after so long, together, he can't say no anymore. So she slips from the room and heads downstairs to get their food, knowing that no matter what hardships they have to go through, she'll be there beside him to help.


	31. Invincible

**Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: "You make me feel invincible."  
Word Count: 987**

* * *

"Nick, don't be stupid."

Phoenix turned to glance at Maya who was standing behind him, her gun lowered towards the ground. She'd given up, that much was obvious. They were the only two left, after all. They didn't stand a chance, not against the enemy lying in wait.

His own gun lowered slightly. "I can do it, Maya."

She stepped forward, reaching out to touch his arm. "Please, don't."

He smiled softly at her. "You know Maya, having you around makes me feel invincible. I forget all my fears."

Maya just stared at him, concern growing on her face. "Don't do it."

"I have to."

He leaned forward, lifting his helmet to kiss her quickly before pulling it back over his face. He pulled his arm from her grip next, and before she could say anything else, he ran from behind their cover, raising his gun into the air again.

She ran out after him, crying out his name, but he was too fast. She watched him sprint across the field silently, his gun swivelling as he watched for the enemy.

She felt her stomach tighten when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She opened her mouth to yell, to warn him, but it was too late. The rounds caught him in the side, just under his armpit. He yelped, but to Maya's surprise kept going.

Though as much as he may have felt invincible, he wasn't. Another enemy appeared in front of him, almost as if they had popped out of thin air. They shot, and multiple rounds took him in the chest. Maya cried out as Phoenix fell to the ground.

She ran from her cover to go to him, not caring whether or not she was putting herself in danger. She dropped to her knees beside him, reaching forward to remove his helmet and touch his face gently with her hands. It was too late. They had lost.

"Nick, I told you not to be stupid!" she murmured, leaning over him.

Phoenix groaned. "Damn, it hurts."

"I know, but you saved me."

He smiled up at her through half lidded eyes. "Good. Guess I'm not so invincible after all, huh?"

He moved his arm, just enough to take her hand in his and squeeze her fingers. "I love you, Maya," he whispered, before his hand went limp in hers.

"Nick? Nick?!" She shook him. "Nick, nooooo!" she cried, turning her face to the sky.

She heard a chuckle from below and glanced back down, only to see Phoenix cracking an eyelid. Maya huffed. "Nick, I thought we were going for dramatic?"

He smiled. "Sorry, sorry. Continue."

Maya cleared her throat, then threw herself across his body. "Oh, Nick! Why did you do it? Why'd you sacrifice yourself for me?!"

She could hear footsteps approaching and lifted her head to see three guns aimed at her.

"It's over."

Maya frowned, looking up at her would-be killers. "This isn't over yet. You haven't killed _me_!" she shouted, grabbing for her gun.

Before she could even lift it, three bullets were sent her way, hitting her square in the chest. She gasped in shock, then flopped over beside Phoenix.

"At least… we're together… when we die…" she murmured, reaching over to rest her hand against his chest. It felt sticky and wet.

She heard someone snort and looked up at the three people surrounding them. Athena put her hands on her hips. "I had no idea you two would take this so far," she said. "It's just a game."

Trucy and Pearl giggled beside her. "This is what makes it fun, though!" Trucy said. "My Daddy took theatre classes in college, so he's a good actor!"

Phoenix groaned and began to sit up. "I did terribly in those classes, Truce," he said. "Ugh. Even with all this protective gear on, paintballs still _hurt_ ," he said, looking down at his protective vest, now covered in green paint. "And you guys ganged up on me!"

"Well, you did run out here like a crazy person, Mr. Nick," Pearl said. "No strategy at all. You made it pretty easy."

Phoenix sighed. "I guess so."

Maya sat up as well. "He did it to protect me, though," she said. "Isn't he sweet?"

Athena rolled her eyes and made a 'bleh' sound as she turned away. "Well, we won, so let's go! I'm sweating up a storm in this stuff. Apollo and the others already headed back."

Trucy reached down to give Phoenix a hand up, while Pearl did the same with Maya. Once their guardians were up, the two girls hurried to catch up with Athena, all the while gossiping about how surprised they were that Apollo had managed to take out Simon Blackquill early in the game, only for Pearl to pelt Apollo with some rounds straight after.

Maya took Phoenix's hand as they began their walk back to the building.

"You know, Maya," Phoenix started, "what I said back there wasn't necessarily a lie just for dramatic purposes."

She glanced up at him. "What part?"

"About you making me feel invincible."

Maya smiled. "Come on, Nick."

"I'm being serious. If you're in danger, I forget everything I was ever afraid of. I'd do anything to help you without even thinking about what that could mean for me. But it works for simpler things, too."

"Like what?"

"Like me passing the Bar Exam again. I wasn't confident that I could do it again, Maya. Not until you decided to encourage me. Suddenly I believed I _could_ do it, and I did. Or way back when I was still a new lawyer and I would get stuck and you'd push me in the right direction."

She smiled, looking down at the ground as they walked hand in hand. "We make a good team, then, huh?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Just _not_ when it comes to paintball, apparently."


	32. Who Did This To You?

**Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: "Who did this to you?"  
Word Count: 2,128**

* * *

Phoenix tapped the steering wheel as he waited for the school bell. Maya had texted him earlier that she was going to be stuck in Kurain longer than usual and wouldn't be able to pick up Mia from school, so Phoenix had obliged her by leaving the office a little earlier than usual. It wasn't like he had anything better to do, and he was kind of happy to have the chance to do it himself for once.

A few minutes passed before he heard the final bell go off. He leaned forward in his seat, watching carefully for his young daughter.

She wasn't hard to spot. She was a tiny girl with black hair in pigtails, but that wasn't really what made her stand out. What made her stand out from the other kids was her outfit. She wore the acolyte robes of a spirit medium in training, instead of regular clothes like the rest of the children.

Phoenix got out of the car and approached the gate. She was looking around wildly, searching for Maya. When her eyes landed on Phoenix they lit up, and a grin spread across her face as she sprinted for him.

He bent down in time to grab her as she jumped into his arms. "Daddy! You came to get me today?!"

Phoenix smiled at her, holding her tight in his arms. He would never get tired of that burst of love he felt in his heart whenever he laid eyes on her. She was only six years old, but she was growing up too fast for him.

"Yep. Your mom was running late in Kurain so I decided to take the rest of the day off to pick you up instead."

She snuggled into his neck, and he happily carried her to the car before setting her back down on her feet. She opened the back door and crawled in as he got back into the driver's seat.

"You all buckled in?" he asked, glancing at her in the rearview mirror.

"Yep!"

"Alright. Let's get you home."

* * *

Mia was relatively quiet on the drive home, which was unusual. She was normally such a talkative kid. Phoenix tried to get her talking a few times, asking her what her day at school was like or what she wanted for dinner at home, but she mostly responded with one word answers. He thought maybe she just missed Maya despite how excited she seemed to have been to see him, after all Maya was usually the one picking her up from school.

When they got home, Phoenix helped her out of the car and followed her into the house. He couldn't help noticing how she kept pulling on the sleeve of the purple overcoat she wore as part of her outfit. He watched her a few times, yanking on it, pulling it down to cover her arm.

"Mia?"

She turned to face him, standing in the hallway. "Yeah, Daddy?"

"Why are you pulling on your sleeve so much? You'll stretch it out."

She averted her gaze, which only made him more suspicious. "Sorry, Daddy. I'll stop."

"Wait," he said, taking a few steps towards her. He knelt down to her level. "Give me your hand."

She held out her hand, and Phoenix gave her a look. "The _other_ hand."

She slowly lifted her other arm, the one she had been yanking the sleeve of. He rolled up her sleeve and was surprised to find a nasty red mark on her skin. He glanced up at her. "Who did this to you?"

She pulled her hand from his grip. "No one."

"I'm supposed to believe you did this to yourself?" She frowned, and he could see tears starting to well in her eyes. "Mia, you can tell me. You won't get in trouble. Is someone at school bothering you?"

She nodded, looking down at the floor. Her tears started to fall then, and Phoenix pulled her into his arms. She hugged him around the neck.

"Why are they hurting you, Mia?"

"It's a boy at school," she said, her voice trembling. "He says I dress funny and I wear the same clothes every day so I must be poor. He keeps grabbing my arm and twisting it and it hurts!"

Phoenix held her tightly, trying not to let how angry he was show. Kids could be so cruel. "I'm sorry that's happening to you, honey. Why didn't you tell your mom or I before now?"

Mia shrugged, wiping at her eyes after pulling away from him. "I dunno."

"You know, you don't _have_ to wear these clothes to school if you don't want to," he said.

Mia looked up at him, shaking her head. "No, Daddy, I like wearing this stuff! I look like Mommy and big sister Pearl."

He smiled at her. "Alright. Why don't you go play in your room and I'll call you when dinner's ready?"

She smiled, and Phoenix leaned down to place a kiss on the top of her head. "I love you, you know."

"I love you too, Daddy."

With that she was gone down the hall to her bedroom. Phoenix stood up as he watched her go. The feeling in the pit of his stomach was a mixture of nerves, anger, and sadness. He couldn't bear knowing his little girl was being bullied over something as silly as the clothes she wore. He would have to talk to Maya about it when she got home.

* * *

Maya got home after dinner, finding Phoenix with Mia in her room, playing with her dolls and stuffed animals. He'd gone out of his way after dinner to play with her, trying to make her forget about her day at school.

The red marks on her arm had faded by then, so Maya didn't notice anything off as she joined the little tea party Mia had set up, and Mia didn't mention them when she told Maya about her day at school. That was okay, Phoenix didn't want her having to relive it; he would talk to Maya himself.

By the time their tea party was winding down, Mia was yawning, so Maya took her for her bath and then together they put her to bed, tucking her in and reading her a story until she fell asleep.

Phoenix waited by the bedroom door as Maya bent to kiss their daughter goodnight, then together they closed her door and headed down the hall to the living room to spend the rest of the night together. The house was quiet now that Trucy and Pearl were both out on their own. It almost made Phoenix want another child, especially since Mia missed Pearl and Trucy like crazy. She'd be so happy with a little brother or sister.

But that was a discussion for another time. For now, he needed to bring up the bullying issue to Maya, and he wasn't looking forward to it. He knew Maya would feel terrible, and quite possibly blame herself. Still, it had to be done.

He waited in the living room for Maya as she went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. When she came back she took a sip before setting it on the table in front of her and leaning back.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she leaned into him, resting her hand against his chest. "Long day?" he asked.

She nodded, her hand rubbing against the fabric of his shirt. "Mhm. I had so many channellings today and they take a lot out of me. Thanks for picking up Mia today, Nick."

"It was my pleasure. I wouldn't mind doing it more often, you know."

She raised her head enough to look at him. "Please. You just want to get off work earlier."

He shrugged. "That, and because she's adorable and I love her." She smiled, resting her head back against him. He rubbed her shoulder and swallowed. "Maya, I need to tell you something, and you're not going to like it."

She sighed. "So much for relaxing." She sat up and turned to face him. "What?"

"It's about Mia. She's being bullied at school." Maya's mouth opened, then closed. Phoenix reached over to squeeze her hand. "I noticed she had a mark on her arm today and she told me a boy at school has been making fun of her, and he gave her one of those Indian burns. I got a few of those myself as a kid and I know they hurt."

"My poor baby," Maya said. "Why are they making fun of her?"

He pursed his lips. He really didn't want to tell her, but he had to. "She said it's because of the way she's dressed. She wears her Kurain robes every day and apparently some of the kids are calling her poor and weird for it."

Maya put her hand over her mouth. "Oh no. This is my fault for making her think she has to wear them. She could wear normal clothes, but she's never complained…"

"Maya, it's not your fault. She even told me today that she _likes_ wearing them because she wants to look like you and Pearls. She knows she doesn't have to wear them but even this incident hasn't stopped her from wanting to."

Maya frowned. "I just feel so bad… Maybe I should try convincing her to wear some normal clothes? She can't even channel spirits, there's no need for her to have to wear the robes…"

Phoenix shook his head. "She should be able to dress how she wants without anyone making fun of her, and _especially_ not anyone physically hurting her." He clenched his fist, and Maya reached over to pat his knee.

"It's okay, Nick."

"It's _not_ okay. I can't bear the thought of her getting hurt, of not being able to protect her from things like that. We need to talk to the school about it, and if necessary we might need to find out which kid did it to her so we can talk to his parents. I'm sure they won't want assault charges filed against them…"

Maya smiled. "That probably won't be necessary."

He frowned at her. "Maybe not, but I'm definitely willing to threaten them and the school with it if I have to."

"Using those lawyerly powers to threaten the school, I love that," Maya said, winking at him playfully. She looked down at her hands, her smile fading. "Nick, are we good parents?"

He blinked at her question. "I like to think so."

"I feel like I should have known. Like I should have been able to help her sooner."

He reached over to clasp her hand. "Maya, we had no way of knowing. She never said anything or indicated at all that there was anything going on. She's a brave little girl. She reminds me of someone else, you know."

She looked up at him. "Who?"

"You, obviously," he said. "She's just like you."

"Nah, she takes after you in the bravery department."

He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in against him again. "She takes after _both_ of us, then. Though I know for a fact she gets her love of TV from you."

She grinned. "Did you think I would let my child grow up never having known the joys of the Samurai franchise?"

"I guess not."

She sighed. "So, tomorrow? School? I can call them in the morning and request we speak to the teacher and principal."

He nodded. "Yeah. I'll take the day off again and meet you there after school."

"Okay." She leaned up to kiss him softly. "You're a good dad, Nick. I mean, I knew that long before we had Mia, but you _still_ make me proud to call you my husband and the father of my child, even all these years later."

He smiled. "And you're a good mom. Don't let something like this make you feel any differently."

"Thanks, Nick."

She reached down to pick up her tea cup, then pulled her legs onto the couch and snuggled back into his side, careful not to spill.

He wrapped an arm around her again. They _were_ good parents, both of them. He was going to make damn sure his little girl wouldn't need to worry about bullies again, and though Maya seemed subdued now, he knew how ferocious she could be when it came to their daughter. If the teacher or principal had any excuses, she would make them sorry. They'd have no problem nipping this in the bud, and it made him feel good to know they could both work together to make their daughter feel safe again.

He was almost looking forward to this meeting.


	33. Make Fun of You

**Pairing: Athena/Blackquill**  
 **Prompt: "My hobby is making fun of you when you talk."**  
 **Word Count: 428**

* * *

"This movie is very unrealistic. Ancient samurai were usually _trained_ in military tactics. They weren't _born_ with these skills; they didn't inherit them from anyone like magic. It's highly unlikely a ten year old would have such abilities."

Athena smiled to herself and hugged Simon a little tighter around the stomach. "Grr this samurai movie that also has a dragon in it is unrealistic grumblegrumble," she said, making her voice deep and gruff sounding.

Simon looked down at her. "Excuse me, Cykes-dono?"

Athena sat up, a grin spreading on her face. "Ooh, Cykes-dono, huh? Am I in trouble?"

Athena was sure no one would believe her if she told them that Simon Blackquill pouted when she so much as teased him a little, but he did, and he was a master at the sad puppy dog look.

"Are you making fun of me?" he asked.

Athena grabbed him around the stomach again, squeezing him like a teddy bear. "My _hobby_ is making fun of you when you talk. You're just so serious!"

He huffed, and Athena lifted her head again. "I love it, though."

He looked at her, eyebrows raised. "Do you?"

"Mhm. You're passionate," she said, reaching forward to brush his bangs from his eyes. The dark circles under his eyes had faded long ago. He looked more like the Simon she remembered from when she was a kid now that he'd been out of prison so long. He _could_ use a hair cut in her opinion, but his hair was a touchy subject. Besides, it wasn't all bad. It was soft, and she could run her fingers through it, and when he took it out of its ponytail it was wild and fell down almost to his waist, and for some reason she found that kind of sexy, particularly during intimate moments…

She shook her head. She was starting to think a little too hard. "I'm glad you have something you're so interested in," she continued. "Like me with my psychology and law stuff."

"I like psychology, and 'law stuff' too," he said, a hint of a smile on his face.

"We're perfect for each other!" Athena said, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. He turned his face to hers, capturing her lips instead.

She smiled against his lips. "So sneaky. Like a ninja."

"You know, a lot of people envision ninja when they think of samurai. They're completely different, though."

Athena chuckled, resting her head back on his shoulder and turning her attention back to the movie. "Of course they are."


	34. I Failed

**Pairing: Phoenix/Maya**  
 **Prompt: "I tried my best not to feel anything for you. Guess what? I failed."**  
 **Word Count: 1,211**

* * *

When Phoenix got the invitation in the mail, he had to read it over again and again and again. His brain refused to believe it was true, refused to believe that Maya, _his_ Maya, was getting married. Had it really been that long since her return from Khura'in? He'd lost track of the time. Three years had gone by since then. He knew she was seeing someone, but he'd always thought they would break up. He never figured Maya would marry the first man she dated. He'd been jealous, sure, but never worried. And maybe it was a mean thing to hope for, but he always imagined being there for her during her inevitable (to him) break up, being able to confess to her the feelings he'd developed over said three years after she'd healed a little, and she would tell him she felt the same and they'd live happily ever after.

Now that hope was gone. She was marrying this man. This man Phoenix never put in the effort to get to know. And she was inviting him to the wedding, having no idea of how he felt for her. The only thing that gave him solace was the photo attached to the invitation. Maya looked happy with her soon-to-be husband. Happier than he had managed to make her in the past three years, at any rate. If anything, it was nice to know she was happy.

He put the letter in his desk drawer. He wouldn't be RSVPing. There was no way he would be able to watch her get married to someone else, not now. He knew it was far too late to confess to her, so he would have to forget about her instead. He only hoped she would do the same.

* * *

Two months passed, and Phoenix focused on work, on mentoring Athena, and on making sure Trucy got into a good college. He did his best to forget about Maya and her upcoming nuptials. She called him a few times, all of which he ignored. Another invitation came in the mail, he assumed she thought maybe the first one had been lost.

When he ignored that one too, she seemed to give up. At least, he thought so, up until he heard a knock at the office door one evening. Curious who it could be during the office's closed hours, he opened it.

Maya stood in the doorway, peering up at him, dressed in a variation of her old acolyte robes. They were more flow-y and a deeper purple with dark embroidering. They made her look like royalty. She was beautiful.

"M-Maya… W-What are you doing here?" he stuttered.

"Nick… I wanted to come see you."

He blinked at her. He was caught off guard. He'd spent the last two months trying to forget about her, trying to reconcile with the fact that Maya wasn't _his_ anymore. But then, she was never his to begin with, it was only now that he was realizing that.

"Oh… Why?" he asked, not sure what else to say.

Maya looked slightly hurt, and she scuffed the carpet with her sandal. "You… You didn't RSVP to the wedding. I was really hoping you'd be there," she said, smiling up at him. "I know we've drifted apart this past year, but I still consider you one of my closest friends. If not my closest. After everything we've been through how could I not?"

He attempted to swallow the lump in his throat. He wanted to be happy for her, he really did. He bit his lip. He supposed there was no other way but to tell her the truth. "Maya… I'm… glad that you're happy, but I can't come to your wedding."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Why not?"

He looked down, unable to look at her face anymore. "I just can't."

"Nick…" she said, reaching forward to touch his arm. He pulled away on instinct. Even her touch was too much now. She took a step back, taking offense to his reaction. "What did I do, Nick?" she asked.

"You didn't do _anything_ , Maya," he said. "And I didn't do anything, either. That's the problem."

"I don't understand."

He sighed. "I tried my best not to feel anything for you. Guess what? I failed."

Maya's eyes widened as she realized what his words meant. "Nick…"

"I know. I don't expect anything from you. So long as you're happy with this new man then… that's all that matters to me, but I can't watch you marry him."

Maya sniffed, and he looked up in time to see a tear fall from her chin. She was shaking her head. "Why now, Nick?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Why did you have to admit it _now_?"

"I'm sorry—"

"Before I left for Khura'in, I confessed to you. I told you how I felt about you back then and you just… shrugged it off. Like it was nothing. Like it meant nothing to you, like you thought it was some kind of prank I was pulling on you. I thought that was your way of letting me down gently so I let it go and I moved on because you didn't feel the same. I met someone else and fell in love with him, but I always knew you'd be my closest friend, no matter what. Now, a month before my wedding, you pull this? What were you expecting would happen? Did you think I would cancel my wedding and leave my fiancé to be with you instead?"

"No, Maya, I never thought that. That's why I didn't RSVP. I didn't want to ruin your wedding by dumping this on you so suddenly, but you showed up here and… I just can't bear to see you marry another man. I can't lie. Back then, when you confessed, I was just confused. I didn't know how I felt about you and you were leaving anyway. I didn't have time to think about it. When you came back, that's when I knew. But by then you'd already met _him._ It was already too late."

"So that's it, then?" she asked, looking up at him. "Fifteen years of friendship down the drain because you can't do what I did and move on?"

"I'm sorry, Maya. Maybe at some point in the future… but not now."

She pressed her lips together, nodding as she did so, her tears streaming steadily now. "Fine then. I hope you have a nice rest of your life, Nick. I really do. I hope you find someone else eventually, like I did." She started to turn away, then paused. "But if you ever do manage to move on, you have my number," she murmured.

He nodded. "Thank you, Maya."

She gave him one last look before turning away and heading back down the hall. He watched her go with longing, the urge inside of him to run after her and beg her to give him a chance almost overpowering, but he couldn't do it. He'd done enough. It was time to leave her be, to let her begin a new chapter of her life with someone else, and to hope he made her as happy as she deserved to be.


	35. Hurt Me

**Pairing: Phoenix/Maya**  
 **Prompt: "No one can hurt me like you can."**  
 **Word Count: 2,633**

 **Notes: Again, I'm sorry in advance. And also, I don't even know where this came from. It was all I could think of?**

* * *

The hug he shared with Maya on her return from de Killer's grasp was when Phoenix realized the extent of his feelings for her. He was hesitant to tell her given his past relationships. He had a tendency of falling in love too fast, and though he'd known her for two years, it was only in the past year that his feelings had really developed.

Still, he also wasn't one to deny his feelings. He admitted it to her, and she said she felt the same. It was the beginning of an intense relationship. He knew she was young, he knew what people probably thought about him dating his 18 year old assistant, but that didn't matter. He truly did love her, and he wanted to hope Maya loved him back.

The thing was, Maya was _different_ after her experience with de Killer. He couldn't exactly put his finger on it, but there was something about her. She had always been a risk taker, always the one talking him into doing things he deemed too scary or too dangerous, but after de Killer she seemed to have no semblance of self-preservation at all. It worried him.

She also went out a lot. Not back to Kurain Village, just… out. Sometimes he wouldn't hear from her for days at a time, but they did spend a lot of their time together, and the last thing Phoenix wanted to do was be a smothering or controlling boyfriend. Besides, when he brought up his concerns, Maya always waved them away and told him not to worry, she was just out having some fun with friends. Friends he'd never met, nor did she seem to want to introduce him to. He wasn't worried that she was cheating, but he did worry for her general safety.

Then one day, after spending a romantic night out together and after a session of love making in which Maya had initiated more than once, he woke up to her side of the bed empty, and all of her things gone. She'd disappeared, leaving nothing, not even a note. When he called her, the number was out of service. He'd even gone to Kurain Village hoping to find her, only for one of the old women in charge to tell him they hadn't seen Maya for over a year and had assumed she had given up her training to be with him permanently in the city.

He went to the police first, trying to report her as missing. Of course, Maya was a legal adult now, and there was no indication that she'd been taken. Her things were all deliberately packed after all, clearly evidence that she'd left of her own volition. He'd begged them to look, especially since Maya had been used against him in the past, but no ransom ever came. There was no word from her and the police weren't going to help find her. He had to accept that she was gone, and that she'd probably left him because she wanted to, for whatever reason.

He was heartbroken, to put it lightly. He quit working; he just didn't have it in him to bother when Maya wasn't around. He stayed home, living off of his dwindling savings, and alcohol became a necessity. Larry and his womanizing, partying habits also became something Phoenix embraced more often. He was still young after all, he might as well enjoy himself. Drinking, and other women, became a sort of comfort to him, or at least that's what he told himself.

* * *

Two years went by that way. Eventually he had to get another job. He didn't want to be a lawyer anymore, it wasn't the same without Maya there, but he also didn't want to end up losing the law firm that was once his mentor's, and that he had so many good memories in. His new job wasn't glamorous and didn't pay a lot, he had to give up his apartment in order to keep the office, but the office had a mini fridge and couches. It had all he really needed to live.

Despite all the other girls and the drinking to forget, he still missed Maya. His heart ached when he thought about her, wondering where she was and what happened to her. Hoping beyond hope that she was okay, even if that did mean she had abandoned him on purpose. He just wanted to know that she was okay.

He found out just how okay she was when he least expected it. It was one of those rare days where he hadn't thought about her much. He was focused on his card games in the basement of the Borscht Bowl Club, just trying to get through the day without losing a game, when she appeared.

She looked incredibly different, but he still recognized her. How could he not? Her beautiful long hair was cut short, barely falling past her chin. She was wearing tight jeans with black boots, and a simple white tank top with a hooded sweater over top. She sat down in front of him at the table, not a hint of a smile on her face.

He was shocked, to say the least. He wanted to hug her, kiss her, ask her where she'd been and what happened and why she was here now, but he couldn't. Besides the shock of seeing her again after so long, there was something off about her. There was no hint of the happy, bubbly Maya he'd known. Her face remained a mask, her eyes staring blankly at him as the dealer dealt them their cards.

He swallowed down all of his questions and played her. She won. It was his first loss ever. She left the room without saying a word, and despite knowing that he was already in danger of being fired for losing, let alone for abandoning the game when there were still others waiting to play him, he got up out of his seat to follow her.

She was fast. He had to rush to keep up, and when he called her name she ignored him. She just kept walking. He continued to follow, refusing to let this be the last time he saw her. There had to be a reason she had shown up again.

She rounded a corner, and when he got there he turned to stare into a dark alley. It was almost black, the only light coming from a lamp post down the street and the moon itself. He squinted into the darkness. He couldn't see anything, and he wasn't keen on the idea of going that way, but he couldn't leave her. Besides, what if something happened to her?

He ran down the alleyway, intent on finding out anything he could from her, only slowing when he reached the dead end. Maya was nowhere to be found. He turned, staring into the darkness, wondering where she could have gone.

"Maya?" he called. "I know it was you. Where did you go?"

He jumped as she rushed forward suddenly, appearing seemingly out of nowhere, one hand reaching out towards him. She grabbed him by the neck, pushing him back into the brick wall behind him. She was so fast he barely saw it, but he felt it; the cool metal of a knife against his throat.

He swallowed, staring into her dark eyes as she looked up at him. He would probably be strong enough to fight her off if he tried, but something in him told him not to.

"Nick…" she whispered.

It felt so good to hear that nickname from her lips again, even under the circumstances. "W-What are you doing, Maya? Where have you been?" he asked.

"With _him_ ," she said. "Training. Learning."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Who?"

"De Killer."

" _What_?"

She blinked at him. "He told me things, when I was trapped in that basement. I'd always planned on leaving you, you know," she said. "Once things had calmed down I planned on leaving and going to him. He was going to make me his apprentice. He's getting older, you know, he wanted someone to fill his shoes when he was gone. I learned so much, Nick," she said, smiling, though it wasn't a pleasant smile.

She was brainwashed, he realized. Whatever had happened to her in that basement… de Killer had gotten inside of her head. Convinced her to go to him, to learn his ways. It was strange. Phoenix had been a defense lawyer whose clients were all innocent. Even if he wasn't in that line of work anymore, he still believed that people guilty of crimes deserved to be punished. And yet here was Maya, a would-be assassin, pressing a knife to his throat, and all he could think about was how relieved he was to know she was alive.

"Then why did you come back?" he asked. "Why would you risk yourself by coming here?"

She tilted her head, the knife at his throat digging in ever so slightly. It was sharp, and he could feel a bead of blood beginning to dribble down his neck. "It was my test," she said.

"Your _test_?"

She nodded. "De Killer wanted me to kill you, to prove my loyalty to him." She leaned forward slightly. "I didn't mean to fall in love with you, you know. I didn't plan on that. But he knew anyway. That's why he's given me this assignment. To kill the man I loved… that would truly prove my loyalty."

Phoenix took a breath. "Are you going to do it, then?"

She stared at him. "I want to."

He closed his eyes. "No one can hurt me the way you can, Maya. The way you _did_ when you left. So do it, if it'll make you happy. I have nothing left to live for now anyway, and in a way, I'm glad it's you."

He could have sworn he saw her eyes soften ever so slightly, but it was gone as quick as it came. She leaned forward again, pressing the knife harder into his throat. One slice would be all it took to open his neck up.

She took a deep breath, and he closed his eyes to think about how strange life was. Who would have thought the woman he loved, only for her to disappear for two years, would appear again in order to kill him.

He waited for the pain to come, for the spurt of blood, but it never did. Instead Maya lowered the knife, and when he opened his eyes she had her head down.

"I can't do it," she whispered. She looked up at him then, and he was surprised to find she was crying. "Nick… I can't do it. I still love you…"

She dropped the knife, the sound of it clattering on the ground seemed so loud in the quiet darkness of the alleyway. Her hand instead came up to clutch his shirt.

He reached out to grip her wrist. "Maya. Let me help you. Don't go back to him. You can be safe now."

She shook her head. "No, Nick. It's too late for me. I… I've already killed people," she said, so quietly he almost didn't hear her despite how close they were standing. "You can't defend me anymore. I'm a killer for real now."

He shook his head. "No… I refuse to believe you wanted to do any of this. De Killer brainwashed you… the police will understand if you go to them for help."

"I can't, Nick. I knew what I was doing when I killed those people. It's too late for me, but not for you. Leave the city. Go somewhere else, I can tell him that I couldn't find you, that you were gone already. _Please_ , Nick. You won't be safe if you don't go."

"Maya…"

"Please."

He reached forward to caress her cheek, wiping away a tear with his thumb. "I still love you," he murmured. "I never stopped. Two years have passed and not a day went by that I didn't think about you. I always wondered why you left, if you were safe and alive…"

She bit her lip. "I'm so sorry, Nick. I wasn't strong enough to resist him."

She moved to pull away, but he reached forward to grip her wrist and pull her back towards him.

"At least let me say goodbye properly this time," he said.

Maya looked up at him, her eyes darting back and forth between his. He leaned forward, bringing one hand up to push a lock of her short hair behind her ear, and tentatively brought his lips to hers.

He closed his eyes as her lips meshed with his. It was like no time had passed at all. He could almost imagine it was two years ago and they were at his apartment, or in the office, sharing a kiss before getting to work or before going to bed. None of the other women he'd been with over the past two years had ever come anywhere close to how he felt for Maya. How he _still_ felt for her.

She brought her arms up to wrap around his neck, standing on her toes to deepen the kiss, the fingers of one hand threading into his hair and the others curling against his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against his chest.

When they finally pulled apart, they were both quiet. Maya's hands rested on his shoulders as their foreheads touched, neither of them wanting to break the quiet calm they both felt.

Phoenix swallowed. It was time to let her go. If it was what she really wanted, he would do it, and he would never tell anyone he'd seen her. "I'll always love you, Maya," he said, brushing his nose against hers. "I'll do what you said. I'll leave."

She let out a shaky breath. "Thank you, Nick." She opened her eyes to gaze up at him. "I'll always love you too, you know. I'll never forget you or everything you did for me."

He nodded, and finally Maya took a step back, removing her hands from his shoulders. "Go tonight," she said.

He nodded again. "I will."

"And I know it'll be hard, but try not to contact any of your friends here. De Killer… he'll find out where you are if you do."

"Okay."

She bit her lip as tears welled in her eyes again. "I'm going now. Love you, Nick."

"Love you, too."

With that she bent to pick up her knife and slid it back into a holster around her thigh that he hadn't noticed before, and turned to walk away. He stayed where he was, watching her back fade into the darkness as she left the alleyway.

He stayed there for a while, back against the wall, trying to wrap his head around what just happened. He felt like crying, but couldn't.

After a few minutes had passed, he pushed himself off the wall and began to walk home. He would gather up any necessary items and get on the first bus to the next city over. He'd have to wing it from there.

He had no idea where he was going to go or how he was going to afford it, but he knew Maya would be in danger if de Killer found out she had found him but hadn't killed him. And even if she was now a trained assassin who had admitted to him that she'd killed people, the last thing he wanted was to put her in danger.

After all, he was willing to forgive her for anything. He would always love her, even knowing what she was.


	36. I Could Kiss You

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Summary: Phoenix is frustrated over lack of evidence for a trial and is worried they'll lose the case. Maya comes up with the answer they're looking for, and Phoenix is so happy that he impulsively kisses her.  
Word Count: 1,061

Not written for a Tumblr prompt but instead written for a friend in Discord, who came up with the idea.

* * *

"We're missing something here."

Maya sat behind Phoenix as he stared at the crime scene in front of them, fingers stroking his chin as he thought.

"If we don't figure out how the victim actually died," he continued, "we'll lose the trial tomorrow. The police weren't able to figure out what weapon was used to hit him, meaning the weapon probably wasn't found."

Maya yawned. She understood his frustrations but they had been out all day already, and she was hot and tired and hungry. Phoenix turned to her, only to sigh in exasperation when he saw that she was sitting on the grass, leaning back on her hands.

"Maya, please. If you'd _help_ me we might figure it out sooner and we could finally go home."

"Alright, Nick, don't get your underwear in a bunch," she said as she stood up. She moved to stand beside him and glanced around at the crime scene. The body had been cleaned up and all the relevant evidence had been taken away; everything except the murder weapon, which apparently hadn't been found yet.

"What shape was the wound again?" she asked.

Phoenix opened up the envelope he was holding to take a look at the autopsy report. "Almost rectangular. It's less of a cut and more of a rectangular dent in the victim's head. Blunt force trauma."

He started to pace as he stared at the photos, and Maya watched him. He was starting to get into that panicky state where his brain stopped working properly. She'd seen it happen before. She held out her hand. "Let me see," she said, knowing that if she interrupted him she could stave off his panic.

He handed it over to her and she took a look at the photos. They weren't pleasant, but she was used to seeing dead bodies by now. "Let's go over the evidence and the witness testimony again, alright?" she said.

Phoenix had stopped pacing to stand in front of her. He nodded, happy to go along with whatever ideas she had now that he'd run out of ideas of his own.

"Okay. The victim was a gardener that was found dead in this flowerbed here at this mansion, with a nasty head wound. No weapon was found, which means it was either hidden _really_ well, or it was taken from the crime scene altogether."

Phoenix nodded along as she spoke, so she continued. "Another one of the workers here called it in, and in his testimony he said that he saw our client—another gardener working in a different area of the yard—hit the victim with something, he said he couldn't tell what. When the police came they arrested our client, and that's where we're at."

Phoenix nodded again. "The only real proof they have is the witness testimony, which is why we need to find that murder weapon. He was a _gardener_ , isn't it more likely he would have hit someone with a shovel or some sort of gardening tool, over something small and rectangular?" he said.

Maya pondered. "The witness. What was he doing here? Some sort of maintenance?"

"Uh, yeah," Phoenix said, walking away a bit and gesturing for her to follow. He pointed to some freshly laid pavement heading towards the large home. "Apparently some of the sidewalk up to the house was cracked and not level anymore, so he was fixing it. He heard something and ran around the house to see the victim being hit, supposedly."

"Hmm…"

"What is it?"

"Not _level_ anymore… Hey Nick, when you lay pavement aren't you supposed to use a level to make sure the ground is, well, level?"

Phoenix scratched the back of his neck. He was no handyman, but he was pretty sure she was right. He nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

Maya looked down at the photos in her hand again, studying them closely. He saw her eyes light up, and she pointed her finger at one of them. "Look at this bruise on the victim's head, Nick," she said, holding the picture out for him to see. "See how there's a circular looking bruise on the inside of the rectangular dent?"

"Yeah, I think I see it."

"Those tools, levels, that you use when laying concrete, they usually have a circle cut out of them so you can see the bubbles when you're testing the pavement."

Phoenix furrowed his eyebrows as he followed her line of thought. "You think…"

"It was the maintenance guy, it had to be," she said excitedly. "He would have had one of those tools, and it would've left a mark _just_ like this. He probably packed it up and took it with him when he was done making sure the police arrested someone else. Who knows _why_ he did it, but we can figure that out in court tomorrow."

Phoenix grinned at her. "Maya, you're a genius!"

In his excitement he took her face in his hands and leaned down to press a kiss against her forehead. He pulled away just as quickly, almost as if he didn't even realize what he'd done. Maya blinked at him as she watched him already start to head back around the house.

"Seriously, Maya," he was saying as he went, "you're a life saver. I don't know how I'd do this job without you."

Maya smiled to herself. He _didn't_ realize what he'd done. It had come so naturally to him that he hadn't thought twice about it. She lifted her hand to touch the spot where his lips had touched her skin. It was only a kiss on the forehead, but it still felt special to her.

Phoenix looked back at her when he noticed she wasn't keeping up with him. "Maya? Are you okay? You look a little red, is the heat bothering you?"

She ran to catch up with him. "I'm fine, Nick, thanks," she said as she fell into step beside him. She thread her arm through his, and he looked down at her questioningly, but said nothing.

"By the way," she said, "you're right. You'd be lost without me."

He smiled down at her. "You know, I can't even deny it. I would be."

She grinned at him before resting her head against his shoulder as they headed towards the sidewalk to go back to the office.


	37. I Love Yous Whispered in the Dark

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: I Love Yous Whispered in the Dark  
Word Count: 678

* * *

Maya laughs as Phoenix drags her down the hall. He turns back to shush her, though he's smiling too. "We don't need Pearls hearing us. What would she think?"

The idea of Pearl hearing them and asking innocently why Maya is being tugged eagerly towards Phoenix's bedroom only serves to make Maya giggle harder. "She would just think we're having a sleepover."

"Aren't we?" he asks, opening the door to his room.

Maya pushes past him to run and jump onto the bed, still attempting to hold in her giggles. She curls her legs under her, the edges of her nightgown riding up teasingly. It's dark in the room, the only light coming from the window where the lights of the Gatewater Hotel across the street shine dimly through the thin curtains.

Phoenix closes the door behind them and approaches the bed, only for Maya to reach out for him and pull him down with surprising strength. Her arms are around his neck soon after, and her lips press against his eagerly.

He kisses her back, still a little surprised at this turn in their relationship. It seems to have happened so fast, not that he's complaining.

Maya pulls away suddenly, pressing her forehead against his before falling away from him and onto her back on the bed, causing the springs to squeak in protest. Phoenix follows suit, lying down on his back beside her. Maya immediately flips onto her side so she can get close enough to rest her chin on his chest. One of her hands makes its way under the hem of his t-shirt to touch the skin of his abdomen, though there's nothing very sexual about it. She likes the warmth of his skin against hers, and her hand against him is somehow comforting.

He glances down at her, and she smiles impishly. "Nick… I think I'm falling for you."

He lifts a hand to brush her hair back from her face. The yellowish hue from the lights across the road streak her black hair with glowing lines of gold. "That's nice."

Maya pouts, her lips pursing and her eyebrows furrowing together. "I'm being serious."

He smiles. "Can I tell you something, so long as you promise not to freak out about it?"

She nods and her chin digs into his chest ever so slightly, but it's not painful. He breaks eye contact with her, looking off to the side. "I've already fallen for you," he murmurs.

Maya's eyes widen slightly in surprise before a small, shy smile makes its way onto her face. "Nick—"

He shushes her again, pressing a finger against her lips. She smiles against it, keeping quiet. Her hand under his shirt curls into a fist, her fingernails scraping lightly against his skin. "I've known for a while, Maya."

"How long?"

He swallows. "Since the Engarde case."

"That long? Nick, you should have said something sooner…"

He shakes his head. "No, I didn't want to risk what we already had. Besides, it's all worked out now, right?"

She scoots forward so she can reach his lips, pressing hers softly against them. She pulls back after a few seconds of warmth. "I'd say so."

She turns her head to rest her cheek against him, and he lets his fingers slip through her silky hair. She drifts off to the sound of his heartbeat and the steady rising and falling of his chest. When she hears him speak next, it sounds far away, and yet clear as day.

"I've never said this before," he whispers, "but I love you, Maya."

She smiles, her fingers uncurling under his shirt. She's so sleepy, but she finds it in herself to reply. "Love you too, Nick…" she mumbles.

He takes a deep breath, sounding almost surprised that she'd heard him, but says nothing more. She feels him shift slightly, grabbing a blanket with his free hand and draping it over the two of them. Warmth encases her, and then finally sleep takes her, and it's the most comfortable she's slept in a long time.


	38. Mrs Right

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: An idea a friend put in our Discord group.  
Word Count: 309

* * *

"Maya, do you want to get married?"

Maya's head lolled back on the couch and turned lazily towards him. "To you?"

"No, to the other man you're in a relationship with," Phoenix said, giving her a look.

"Why? Are you proposing? I thought it'd be more romantic than this."

"I'm not proposing, I'm having the 'do you see us getting married in the future' conversation that comes _before_ the proposal, so I know where your feelings are about the whole thing. We've never really talked about what our plans for the future are."

Maya shrugged. "I can see us getting married, somewhere in the way off future, so don't go planning your proposal just yet," she said, smiling at him. "We don't talk about this much either but I am quite a bit younger than you, you know. My mom was already married with a kid when she was nineteen, and I'm already twenty, but I think I want to wait a little longer. Just enjoy life without all the responsibility of being a parent."

Phoenix wrapped an arm around her. "I understand. I'm in no rush or anything, I was just wondering. You're not going to hurt my feelings by saying you want to wait a while."

"Okay," she said, turning towards him a bit more. He watched her reach over to rest her hand against his leg. "I don't want to be Mrs. _Wright_ yet," she said, inching her fingers upward. "But Mrs. Right _Now_ is sounding pretty good."

"Now you're using puns to initiate?"

Maya shrugged, her fingers getting closer and closer to the zipper on his jeans. "Aren't you proud?"

"Kind of, yeah."

Maya grinned as he leaned down to kiss her. She didn't want to get married right away, but she knew without a doubt that he was the one she would marry… _eventually._


	39. Celebrating an Anniversary

Pairing: Athena/Blackquill  
Prompt: Celebrating an Anniversary  
Word Count: 959

* * *

"Can you believe it's already been five years, Simon?" Athena asked, picking through her food.

Blackquill looked up at her as if surprised she was even there, even though they'd come to the restaurant together. Athena raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay? You seem to be off in your own world."

He set his fork beside his plate of half eaten food. "I'm fine, Athena." He sighed and looked away from her, suddenly finding something very interesting across the restaurant to look at instead. "I was just thinking."

She leaned forward a bit. "Thinking about what?"

"Don't you think it's… a little morbid, celebrating this every year?"

Athena sat back, a little surprised. It'd been _five years_ , and now he was bringing this up? "I'm not sure how. We're celebrating the day you were cleared of charges and were released from prison. The day you were finally _free_ after ten years. Isn't that something to be celebrated?"

"I guess it just brings back bad memories. Of course it's nice to remember how I felt that day, finally being let out, finally being able to see you especially," he said with a small smile. "But it also brings back the bad memories. Prison wasn't fun, Athena."

She looked down at her plate, moving her fork back and forth across it, making marks in the sauce left there. "I didn't know you felt that way. I wish you would have told me sooner."

He shrugged. "It never really bothered me before now. I guess I'm just getting older, and since my life is back on track, I don't feel like I need to be remembering my time in prison anymore. I want to make new, better memories now. Memories with you."

Athena smiled. It had been five years since Blackquill was released from prison, and almost three since they'd started dating. It was something she'd been unsure of at first, after all he was ten years older than her and had been in prison for just as long, but in the end she knew it was the right decision. He'd sacrificed ten years of his life for her, and though she knew he'd never expect repayment for that, it also proved how far he was willing to go to protect her. She knew that even back when she was eighteen, there was a part of her that already loved him for that.

"I'm pretty much done my food," she said. "Do you want to get a to go bag for yours and go somewhere else?"

"Yeah, I think so," he said, nodding.

They called their waiter over and asked for the bill, and Simon piled his leftover food in a box to take with them. They left the restaurant together to head back out into the streets of L.A. Athena took his arm as they walked, finding a strange joy in the way other people stared at them. Blackquill was a good head taller than her, he was dressed all in black, his hair was long and dark with that white streak. Meanwhile she was a bubbly looking girl dressed in yellow, her hair bright orange, clearly younger than him. They did make quite an interesting sight when together.

"Was there somewhere else you wanted to go, Simon? Somewhere we can start making new memories?"

He shook his head as he walked beside her. "Can we just go back to the apartment for now? There's uh… something there I need to get."

She raised an eyebrow, but didn't press the matter. "Sure, of course. It's still pretty early anyway. We can go out again later if we want."

They took their time walking to the apartment they now shared, but as soon as they stepped inside and he had his jacket and shoes off, Simon was heading towards the bedroom, after telling Athena to wait.

He returned a few moments later. "Athena, sit down please," he said, gesturing towards the love seat in the living room.

She took a seat and waited. "What is it?"

He took a deep breath. "I wanted to do this in some special way, but I'm no good at that sort of stuff, and I figured if we want to start making new memories on this day then… maybe now is the right time?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"I… er, well, will you marry me?"

She broke out into a grin. It was just like him to make proposing sound so awkward and blunt. "You don't have to say yes," he said. "I know I'm a lot older and maybe you're not ready yet, but—"

"Simon, no, of course I will! I mean, we don't have to get married right away anyway, we can be engaged for a while."

He smiled at her. "That sounds perfect."

"So… did you get me a ring or anything?"

"Oh, yes, of course," She laughed at his face, it was rare Blackquill to look so flustered. He pulled out a black velvet box from his pocket and opened it, holding it out to her.

She stared down at the diamond inside. "It's beautiful, Simon. Thank you."

He took it out and slipped it onto her finger. Athena smiled at him before tugging on his shirt collar to bring him level with her, leaning forward to kiss him.

She rested her forehead against his when she pulled away. "What do you say we stay in tonight?"

"Yes, that sounds good," he said, sounding a little out of breath from the kiss. "I love you, you know."

"I do know."

She leaned in to kiss him again, deeper this time before pulling away again. "And Simon," she said, "I think this is the perfect way to start making new memories."


	40. Date Night In

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: Date Night In  
Word Count: 1,312

I wrote almost this entire thing on my phone, in my car, during my 40 minute lunch break.

* * *

"Nick, can you come grab one of these bags for me?"

Phoenix stood up from the couch where he was mindlessly watching TV. When he turned, he could see her attempting to get through the doorway with two large paper bags in her arms. He rushed over to her, taking one of them from her and holding the door open with his foot to let her in.

"Phew. Thanks, this stuff is heavy."

"What is all this?" he asked, peering into the bag he'd taken. "Canvas? Huh?"

Maya set her bag on the coffee table and turned to grin at him. "This is what we're going to do for date night! I didn't feel like going out somewhere so I bought some stuff for us to use here. You said Trucy is at a friend's house tonight, so I figured we'd have the place to ourselves anyway."

"So what is all this stuff for?"

"We're going to paint! I bought some canvas for us both, and new paints and some brushes."

"Why painting?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"You used to be an art major in college before you switched to law, right? I wanted to see how good you are."

He chuckled. "I was never that good to begin with, and I've been out of practice for years now."

"Aw, come on, Nick. If you can draw something better than a stick figure, you're still doing better than me."

He sighed. "Alright, I guess it's something different in any case. It's better than playing Jenga again."

"Hey, I love Jenga."

"You just like when it finally falls."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Let's get this stuff set up. I want to start on my painting!"

* * *

They set themselves up with the miniature easels and the canvas Maya had purchased, one of them on each couch with the easels set on the coffee table. They each had their own set of paints and brushes as well. They faced each other, Maya said it was so they couldn't see each other's work, and they could surprise each other with it when they were finished.

Maya flopped onto her side on the couch before starting and grinned over at him. "Hey Nick. Draw me like one of your French girls."

He rolled his eyes. "I never should've watched that movie with you."

She giggled before sitting up and grabbing her paints, then her face settled into something semi-serious as she went to work. He watched her for a few moments as she concentrated on whatever it was she was painting.

He smiled to himself as an idea cane to him, then he dipped a small paintbrush into the black paint, and finally put brush to canvas.

* * *

They were quiet for quite a while, both of them concentrating hard on their paintings. The only sound in the room came from a radio they'd left on in the kitchen, the faint music making its way to the living room. Every time Phoenix glanced up at Maya, she seemed to be deep in the zone, dipping her brush into her paint and slashing at the canvas with it, her tongue sometimes sticking out the side of her mouth as she concentrated.

Another half an hour passed, and Phoenix was getting close to finishing his painting. Maya seemed to be slowing down as well; now when he glanced at her she was often staring at her canvas with her head in her hands, examining it and adding any extra touches she needed.

He placed one last dollop of purple paint on his canvas before setting his brush down. "I'm about done, Maya."

"I think I am too. I can only add so much before I'd just ruin it. I better stop while I'm ahead." She looked up and smiled at him. "Ready to show me?"

"Mhm," he nodded.

He took his canvas off the easel and brought it around to her side of the couch. Maya had taken her canvas as well, and was holding it backwards so he couldn't see what it was yet. "You first."

"Alright..." He turned his canvas around, showing her the portrait he'd drawn of Maya herself. It was rough, as it would take him a lot longer than an hour and a half to do something better, but it wasn't too bad. He'd had a live reference to look at after all.

Maya gasped. "Nick! It's beautiful!"

"It's not that good. I think it's just because the subject is beautiful..."

"Don't be so modest," she said, blushing slightly at his compliment. "You're really talented. I never realized."

"You think so?"

"Of course! You know you didn't have to paint me though, right?"

"I know. But I was watching you after you started yours and well... I guess you could say inspiration struck me."

She smiled. "Thank you. I love it. But now that I've seen how good yours is I'm kind of embarrassed about mine..."

"Come on, Maya. I'm sure it's fine."

"Okay just... don't laugh at how amateurish it is."

She turned her canvas. She'd painted on her canvas in landscape orientation instead of portrait. It was a painting of the office as Maya was seeing it from her perspective. There was Phoenix's desk, the bookcases and filing cabinets, the couch across from her, and of course Charley the plant. She'd even managed to sort of capture the way the light came into the room from the window. It was definitely the work of a beginner, but it wasn't bad. Maya herself seemed to have some innate talent for art.

"It looks great, Maya," he said. "You were worried for nothing."

"You're just saying that to be nice," she said, looking down at her painting.

He sat down beside her. "No I'm not. Sure, it's not the work of an expert, but it looks really good for someone who claimed she could only draw stick figures."

She smiled at him. "Thanks, Nick. The office has always sort of been like a second home to me, you know? When my sister was here, and then when you took it over. I almost like it here more than Fey Manor," she said, looking around as she spoke. "We have so many memories here. Some aren't great, but the good ones outshine the bad."

He wrapped an arm around her. "Yeah, you're right."

She leaned in to press herself against his side as he squeezed her shoulders. "Nick, can I take your picture of me home? I want to hang it in the manor."

He laughed. "Really? Isn't that sort of narcissistic?"

Maya huffed. "It is not. It's a nice picture that my boyfriend painted for me. Of course I want to keep it."

"Fine, but only if you let me frame and hang your picture here."

"But it's not that good."

"No, i's perfect," he said, taking it from her hands and setting it on the table. "I'll get a frame for it tomorrow."

"Okay, then it's a deal. We'll trade."

Phoenix glanced down at his watch. "We finished pretty early. Did you have anything else in mind for tonight?"

"Oh, I do," she said, smiling slyly at him. "There's still one more canvas left. You up for painting one more thing?"

"Depends what it is," he said, eyeing her. He wasn't sure if he liked that smile or not.

She stood up from the couch and started to untie her obi. "I always thought it'd be kind of fun to be a nude model, but I would never be able to work up the nerve to be one for an art class… But for my boyfriend? That's a different story."

Phoenix chuckled and leaned forward to grab the other blank canvas from the bag. "I can't say no to that. I could use some anatomy practice anyway…"


	41. Nude Beach

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: Narumayo at a nude beach  
Word Count: 1,681

This isn't smut or even very sexual despite the prompt, so don't worry. It's (hopefully) more humorous than anything else.

* * *

"Maya, where _are_ we?"

Phoenix watched as Maya stumbled her way through the brush ahead of him. "Uum, good question, Nick."

"You mean we're _lost?_ In the woods? This is the beginning of every horror movie I've ever watched."

Maya turned around to give him a look of exasperation. "It's still daylight out. Everyone knows horror movies only take place at night. We'll be fine until then."

"Oh, that's okay then. We just have to find our way out of this forest before nighttime." He glanced down at his watch. "And it's already 5 pm. It'll be getting dark out soon!"

"It's the middle of the summer, Nick. It doesn't get dark out until 9, we have hours to kill."

Maya turned back around to continue trudging her way through the thick trees, while Phoenix walked behind her, swatting at the bugs that were disturbed by Maya's footsteps.

Another fifteen minutes or so had passed when Maya gasped. "Nick look! A fence!"

Phoenix squinted ahead of them, and sure enough there was a large wooden fence sprawling out before them, cutting them off from the direction they'd been walking in. He noticed that the trees had begun to thin out as well, and the closer they got to the fence, the more the hard ground began to turn soft. When he looked down, he noticed that they were starting to walk into sand.

"I can hear the ocean," Maya stated. "We must be near a beach."

"A private beach, it seems," Phoenix said, eyeing the fence. The boards were placed so close together it was almost impossible to see anything through them, but that didn't stop Maya from getting closer and pressing her face against the wood to see if she could peer through the tiny crack.

Phoenix stood back with his arms crossed and let Maya peep. If anything this fence meant they could follow it back to civilization and they could finally find a bus or a taxi to get home, so his mood had already improved.

Maya gasped suddenly, her arm waving at him to beckon him closer. "Oh my gosh, Nick," she whispered. "You have to come see this."

"What?" he said, stepping forward.

"Just look."

He leaned forward to look through the crack in the fence the way Maya had. It was hard to see much and he had to squint, but eventually his eyes did fall on some people on the other side of the fence. They were quite far away, but it was obvious right away why Maya was so excited.

"They're naked," he stated.

Maya smacked him on the back in her excitement. "This must be a nude beach! I didn't know there was one around here!"

Phoenix leaned back, a little uncomfortable with staring at naked people he didn't know. "Well, we must be pretty far from the city by now. It makes sense it'd be out here where not just anyone can see them."

"I want to go."

"What? Maya, no."

She smiled at him. "You just don't want to be naked in front of strangers."

"Um, yeah, I don't."

"Come on, Nick!" she said, taking a step towards him. "Think about how freeing it would be!"

" _No._ "

"Hmph. Okay, fine, let's just follow this fence so we can find our way out of these trees then."

She walked on ahead of him again, keeping a hand against the fence as she went. He followed, knowing she was up to something.

By the time they reached the end of the fence the trees had thinned out completely and they were able to see a road, but Maya wasn't interested in that. Instead she turned to continue following the fence the other way. The entrance wasn't much further ahead, with a sign that sure enough told visitors of the "Clothing Optional" beach.

"Maya, stop!" Phoenix called.

She stopped and turned back to him. "What? I want to go in. It's not a private beach after all, it's just clothing optional."

He sighed. "It's still a _beach,_ Maya. We might not need bathing suits but we don't have any towels, or sunscreen, or anything else."

Maya shrugged. "So? Besides look, it's clothing _optional,_ so you don't have to get naked if you don't want to."

She turned back towards the beach entrance without waiting for him. He reluctantly followed her, not wanting to leave her alone so far away from the city. As soon as they stepped through the entrance Maya began to strip. He stood beside her watching, feeling almost protective, not wanting others to see her. But the more he looked around the more he realized that no one else cared. In a place like this, where _everyone_ was naked, it didn't feel that strange.

Maya stepped out of her robes and lifted her arms. "Aaah. This _is_ freeing."

"You didn't take your underwear off."

"I know," she said. "I don't think I want to go that far yet, but maybe later. Besides, these panties look really nice so I kind of want to show them off." She turned to smile at him, and he had to admit she looked beautiful standing there in the sun, nothing but some skimpy pink panties on. Again that urge to cover her up before any other men were able to ogle her came over him, but he let it pass. No one was even looking at them.

"You should at least take your shirt off, Nick," she said. "It's actually almost _weirder_ that you're the only person here who's fully dressed." She nodded in the direction of a group of people sitting in the sand not far away. "Look. That guy over there just has shorts on."

He sighed, but he had to agree with her. Looking around at everyone else did make him feel a little self conscious when he realized he was the only guy here who was still wearing a shirt. Even at a normal beach that would be a little strange.

He unbuttoned his dress shirt and slid it from his shoulders, then pulled the white tank top he was wearing under it over his head. "There, happy?"

"Yes, and every other woman here is too, I bet."

He frowned. "Maya, these types of places aren't supposed to be sexual. You know that, right?"

"Yes, yes. But you look so nice," she said, pressing her hands against his chest. "I can't help but like how you look."

He found himself smiling at her. "Well, you look pretty nice too, but I can't say I'm fond of all these other people having the privilege of looking at you."

She smiled. "Let's go swim. We can just stay for an hour or so, because I know you're uncomfortable. Let's go to the water."

She took his hand and pulled him closer to the water. They had no towels but there were some beach chairs set up that were empty, and Maya set her clothes on top of them, kicking off her sandals as well. Phoenix followed suit, leaving his shirt on the chair and taking his shoes off.

"Pants, too, Nick. You have boxers on, right?"

"Of course."

"Well, come on."

He looked around, catching a few glimpses of some other men who were wearing much less clothes than him. "Gah, alright, fine."

"There we go," Maya grinned. "Now, to the water!"

Maya ran ahead of him, splashing into the water and submerging herself. He joined her rather quickly, the water wasn't freezing but with the sun beating down the way it was, it was still refreshing. He swam out to where Maya was standing in the water up to her chest.

She turned to wrap her arms around his neck when he approached. "See? Isn't this nice?"

"I guess."

Maya snorted and looked back towards the beach. "No one here cares; it doesn't matter if you're skinny or fat, young or old. I think it's great. And everyone looks so _different_. I never realized how much clothes were hiding."

"I suppose," he said, "though I'm still not that fond of it."

Maya let go of him to float away a bit, and together they swam a bit further out. They spent half an hour in the water, splashing around and eventually, making out a little bit. While the nude beach itself wasn't sexual, the simple fact that they were together, off in a part of the water that was mostly empty save for them, made everything seem just a little more romantic, and when Maya pressed herself against him, free of any sort of bathing suit top, he did have to appreciate coming here today.

Eventually she pulled back and sighed. "Nick, we should get going soon. I'm getting all pruny. But I want you to do one thing for me, first."

"What's that?"

"Take your boxers off."

"Nope, no way. Clothing _optional_ , Maya. I'm choosing the option of keeping them on."

"Please? We're in the water. No one will see you." She pouted at him, giving him one of those looks that she'd perfected in order to get what she wanted from him.

He glanced around to make sure no one was looking or around them in the water, and reached down to remove his last remaining clothing item. Maya grinned as he straightened up, though he was still torso deep in the water, so not much was visible.

She grabbed his boxers from his hand. "Yes! Freedom!"

"You realize you still have your underwear on, right? So right now, I'm more free than you are."

She smiled slyly at him. "Yep, and you're going to stay that way."

With that she flung his boxers out into the ocean, far enough away that it would take him a few minutes to swim that far out, and with the way the tide was pulling, they were just getting further away by the second. She immediately started to swim back to shore without him.

"What the hell, Maya!" he yelled after her.

All he heard was her distant laugh ahead of him.


	42. Suddenly a Slow Song

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: We were dancing but all of a sudden it's a slow song and we're standing here awkwardly staring at each other

Word Count: 448

* * *

"And I thought I was a bad dancer."

Phoenix's words didn't seem to phase Maya. She continued her shimmying and shaking to the beat of the music, not minding one bit who saw her or how much he made fun of her. It was kind of amusing to watch.

She took his hands in hers and moved his arms, placing them back against her swaying hips, and when she looked up and smiled at him he felt that familiar little flutter in his stomach. He'd been feeling that a lot lately when it came to Maya.

He realized he'd practically stopped moving entirely when Maya's erratic movements slowed down to match his. She looked up at him, an eyebrow quirked. "What's wrong?"

He blinked at her and looked around at the other couples on the dance floor. "Um… the music just changed," he said just as he realized that the music had indeed switched. The fast song they had been attempting to dance to had stopped and another, slower song had come over the speakers instead. People who had been dancing solo made their way off the dance floor to rest or to find a partner to drag back out.

"Oh, you're right," Maya said. "It's a slow song though. Want to take a break?"

He swallowed, managing to work up the courage to step closer to her. "Nah. Let's stay."

Maya shifted where she stood as his arms slid further around her waist to pull her closer. "I-I don't really know how to slow dance."

"Just put your hands on my shoulders, if you can reach."

"I'm not _that_ short, Nick," she said, sliding her hands up to rest on his shoulders. "This does feel kind of weird, though."

"Why?"

"I don't know…"

"Just try to relax."

She sighed, and when he looked down at her he could see a faint pink blush on her cheeks. "Am I making you uncomfortable, Maya?"

She looked up again. "No, not at all." He caught her small smile as she looked down again. "I just didn't think you would want to."

"Why wouldn't I?"

She shrugged. "I don't know."

They weren't dancing so much as standing in one place swaying side to side, just enjoying being in each other's arms. Maya's hands slid down to rest against his chest and she took a step forward, resting her cheek against him as well, her entire body seeming to relax into his. She was the perfect height where he could just rest his chin on the top of her head.

"This is nice," Maya said.

Phoenix murmured his agreement, and wondered if she could hear how fast his heart was beating.


	43. Never Mind, Forget It

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: I just told you I liked you but now I'm shy and say "never mind, forget it" and why are you looking at me like that?  
Word Count: 593

* * *

"You… You what?"

Maya looked away, unable to look him in the eye anymore. "Never mind… just forget I said anything, I shouldn't have…"

She began to turn away, but Phoenix reached forward to grab her wrist. She spun back around, surprised at his touch.

"Maya, stop. You can't just say something like that and then run away. What did you mean?"

"I mean that… I like you. As more than a friend." She tugged her wrist from his grip and swiped at her eyes where tears were beginning to form. "I wanted to tell you before it was too late."

Phoenix ran a hand through his hair. "Too late?"

"Nothing, I said never mind."

"Maya, sit down. Please, tell me."

She took a deep breath, but finally sat down beside him on the couch. "You've just been visiting Iris an awful lot lately. You never really told me much about your past with her, but I know enough. I see the way she looks at you. So I guess I thought if I told you how I felt before things went any further between you two, maybe you _might_ feel the same. But why would you when you have someone like her? She's beautiful. I'm just a little kid compared to her."

Phoenix said nothing for a few seconds, still trying to process everything. Maya had dropped this on him so suddenly, he wasn't even sure how to react. But one thing he did know was that Maya was wrong. He raised his eyes to hers, and Maya's eyebrows furrowed as he stared at her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

He shook his head. "Because… it's just like you to blurt something like that out and then just assume I don't feel the same, without even waiting for an answer."

"Wait… what?"

"There's nothing going on between me and Iris, Maya. I visit her because she has no one else. You haven't even taken Pearls to see her yet, and I get why, I don't blame you. I just don't think she deserves to be so alone. But that's all there is to it. We're just friends. Besides, even if Iris did have feelings for me still, I couldn't reciprocate them."

"Why not?"

He smiled. "Well, because I kind of like someone else."

She looked disappointed all over again. "Oh…"

He grabbed her hand, running his thumb over the back of it. Before you assume anything else, I should probably just tell you… it's you. I feel the same as you do, Maya."

Maya's eyes widened. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah… You and I have gone through so much together. I know you better than anyone else, including Iris. Of course it's you."

Maya looked down at their entwined hands, a smile she couldn't hold back making its way to her face. In her excitement, she lunged forward to wrap her arms around him. He pulled her in against his chest to hug her close.

"I didn't realize," she said. "I'm sorry, Nick."

"Hey," he said, pulling back to look her in the face. "At least it's all out in the open now, right?"

She nodded. "Mhm!

"So… now what?"

"Let's go get burgers to celebrate!" Maya said, pushing herself up and beginning to stand. "Your treat, of course. And now we can call it a date!"

Phoenix sighed. He was pretty sure that admitting their feelings for each other wasn't going to change much else in their day to day lives. But he wouldn't have it any other way.


	44. Don't Scare Me Like That

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: Oh, my God, I thought you were going to die. Please don't ever scare me like that again.  
Word Count: 1,639

* * *

"This is the _last_ time something like this is going to happen. I swear it right here and now. The _last_ time. If I have to take her somewhere, just leave everything and go somewhere with her to keep her safe, then I will."

Larry looked over at his friend worriedly. Phoenix was sat on the red leather couch in his law office, his head in his hands as he mumbled to himself.

"Nick, buddy, calm down—"

"How can I calm down, Larry?!" Phoenix snapped, looking up at him. "How can I when someone has her _again_? When I know for a fact that she's been hurt?"

Larry winced at the memory of the phone call they'd gotten not long ago, before Edgeworth and Gumshoe had run off with the co-ordinates to Maya's location, hoping beyond hope the kidnapper didn't have sense enough to move locations after phoning. It had been Maya, crying, pleading for them to help her, and then a scream as the line went dead. It was chilling.

"She could even be dead, for all I know," Phoenix said, putting his head back in his hands.

Larry sat down beside him on the couch. He wasn't that good at cheering people up, and this situation was far out of his comfort zone. "Edgey is doing everything he can to get her back—"

"He's not doing _enough_ ," Phoenix snapped again. "And I should be helping. Maya is… she's my… damn it, I don't even know what she is to me anymore, but I care about her more than anyone else in the world. I don't know what I'd do if I lost her…"

Larry stared as Phoenix put his face in his hands to attempt hiding the fact that he was crying. It was all too much for him; the emotions, not being able to help, and what Larry thought were possibly his confusing feelings for his friend. Phoenix never outright stated that he was in love with Maya, but 'caring about her more than anyone else in the world' seemed pretty close to love, in Larry's opinion.

Larry put a hand on Phoenix's shoulder, trying his best to comfort him. "Nick… Edgey didn't want me to tell you this, but there's a reason he wouldn't let you help."

Phoenix glanced at him. "Why? Doesn't he realize how much I care about her?"

"Of course he does. That's the reason you couldn't help… He said he was scared what you would do if something happened to her and you found the guy who did it… He said he wanted to believe you'd never purposely hurt another human being, even someone who deserves it, but that when it came to Maya he just couldn't be sure. He said, and I quote, 'Wright throws out all logic when it comes to Maya Fey'. That's why he told me to stay here with you."

Phoenix swallowed hard, blinking back more tears. He put his face in his hands yet again. "He's right," he said. "Even I don't know how I'd react. Maya… she's the sweetest girl, Larry. And she's funny, and charming, and always so optimistic, I don't know how she does it. She's doesn't deserve any of this."

"I know she doesn't. I'm her friend too, remember?"

Phoenix laughed half heartedly. "Yeah. But you don't really know her. Not like I do."

Larry looked down at the floor. Phoenix was right, after all. At one time he would have considered himself Phoenix's best friend, but that place had clearly been taken by Maya. Not that Larry blamed his friend for that. When two people spent as much time together as Phoenix and Maya did, it only made sense they would become such close friends.

"That's true," Larry said. "I guess I'm not in love with her, either."

Phoenix's head snapped up. "What?"

Larry looked at him. "Come on, Nick. You have feelings for her, it's obvious."

"No, I don't… she's just my friend…"

Larry frowned at him. "Really? You just said you care about her more than anyone else in the world. If that's not love, then what is?"

"I-I don't know…"

Larry reached over to squeeze his shoulder again. "It's okay, Nick. She's going to be okay, and when she gets back you should tell her how you feel."

Phoenix only nodded meekly, putting his face back in his hands. At least it seemed like he'd calmed down a little bit, and Larry congratulated himself on making his friend feel a little better.

They both jumped when Larry's phone began to ring on the table. Larry made a swipe for it before Phoenix could grab it. "Hello?"

"Larry, it's Edgeworth."

"I know, I have Caller I.D." He glanced towards Phoenix, who was staring at him. "What's going on?"

"We found her," Edgeworth said. "She's on her way to the hospital now. She's in rough shape, but she'll live."

Larry breathed a sigh of relief. "And the guy?"

"He got away."

"Oh."

"But the important thing is, Maya is safe now. You can tell Wright. Drive him to the hospital too, I'm sure he'll want to see her as soon as possible."

"Yeah, of course. Thanks Edgeworth."

At the mention of Edgeworth's name, Phoenix immediately perked up. "Let me talk to him!"

Larry hung up before Phoenix could grab the phone from him. "Nick, calm down."

"Maya… Is Maya okay?"

"She's okay," Larry said. "She's on her way to the hospital now."

"We have to go," Phoenix said, already standing and looking for his jacket. "Please, Larry. Drive me."

"I'm on it. Let's go."

They made it to the hospital in record time, and for once Phoenix didn't complain about the speed Larry was going. In fact Larry had barely managed to put the car in park before Phoenix was flinging open the door and running inside the hospital. Larry followed behind him, feeling for once like the responsible friend who had to make sure no one else got into trouble. Phoenix could be intense when things like this happened, and he didn't want some poor nurse or receptionist to bear the brunt of Phoenix's temper if they didn't tell him what he wanted to know right away.

By the time he made it inside Phoenix had already spoken to the nurse at the front counter and was heading down a hall towards where Larry assumed Maya's room would be. He made an 'I'm with him' gesture and followed.

Maya's room wasn't very far. She was on the first floor and luckily for her, her injuries—despite looking rough—weren't actually life threatening. She'd already been through emergency, had x-rays and any other necessary tests done, and had been given stitches along her arm where a knife had sliced her. When they found her room she was resting inside, tired but awake.

Phoenix didn't even knock, and she looked up when he entered the room. Larry saw her eyes widen in surprise at how quickly they'd come.

"Nick…" she said, her voice a little hoarse. "You're here."

"Of course I'm here."

With that, he bent down to hug her. "I thought you were going to die. Please don't ever scare me like that again."

"Ow, ow, ow, Nick, you're hurting me…"

Phoenix pulled away quickly. "I'm sorry. I'm just so glad you're okay."

Maya smiled tiredly. "Me too. I was scared, Nick," she said, tearing up.

"I know." Phoenix took her hand in his, holding it gently this time to make sure he didn't hurt her again. "But you're safe now."

Maya smiled, and finally her eyes turned to Larry. "Hey Larry."

He smiled. "Hi. I'm glad you're okay."

"Yeah. Edgeworth and Gumshoe were pretty amazing; they bust into that room like a two man SWAT team." She laughed before wincing. "It's funny because Mr. Edgeworth isn't even a cop, but he looked pretty awesome." She looked down for a minute, thinking before she spoke again. Then she looked back up to Phoenix. "Why didn't you come, Nick? I thought for sure you'd be the one to burst in there and save me."

"I wanted to, Maya—"

"Edgey wouldn't let him," Larry explained. "He was afraid Nick would kill the guy who hurt you."

"I'm sorry, Maya. I wanted to be there," Phoenix said.

Maya gripped his hand a bit tighter. "It's okay. I guess Mr. Edgeworth had a point. You can be scary when you get mad."

They went quiet, and Larry watched as Phoenix and Maya stared at each other. Words weren't needed between them, he realized. All they had to do was hold hands and look into each other's eyes and it was like they both knew what the other was feeling.

He cleared his throat, suddenly feeling like a third wheel. "I should go. You two probably want to be alone."

"It's alright, Larry," Maya protested. "You can stay."

He held up his hands. "Nah. I think you guys need to talk. Right, Nick?"

Maya looked to Phoenix curiously, and he nodded. "Yeah… I'd like to talk."

"I'll come visit you again later, Maya," Larry said. "I'll bring flowers."

"They'd better be really pretty!" Maya called after him as he left the room. As he closed the door he took one more glance inside and found himself a little bit envious of the way they were looking at each other. He'd had plenty of girlfriends in his life, but none that looked at him the way Maya looked at Phoenix.

He smiled as he closed the door. Well, Nick deserved someone like her, so long as he worked up enough courage to tell her how he felt. Larry had faith in him.

This would hopefully be the last close call Maya would have before knowing how Phoenix really felt about her.


	45. Same Bed

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: We slept in the same bed for space reasons but now we're just waking up and there's something about your bleary eyes and mussed hair  
Word Count: 742

* * *

Waking up with someone else in her bed with her wasn't that shocking for Maya. She frequently shared a bed with Pearl, and she could still remember the sleepovers she would have with Mia when she was alive, when they'd crawl into her queen sized bed to watch a movie and inevitably fall asleep there.

Except waking up next to a close family member was a different thing altogether when compared to waking up next to a man. Sure, it was _just_ Phoenix. It wasn't like he was some stranger; they were best friends after all, but they didn't usually make a habit out of sleeping in the same bed together, and Maya wasn't even sure how they'd ended up sleeping together anyway. They'd had a lot to drink the night before, and her memory was fuzzy. Her first instinct was of course to jump out of bed as fast as possible to hopefully avoid some of the embarrassment of waking up together, but when she realized that Phoenix was still fast asleep beside her, she thought again.

Instead she found herself rather curious, and peered over at him. He was sleeping on his stomach, his arms wrapped around his pillow and his face turned towards her. He looked rather adorable, she thought, with his hair all fluffy from sleep and his cheek squished into the pillow.

She shifted a bit, and Phoenix began to stir. She quickly closed her eyes again, pretending to be asleep. She heard a sharp intake of breath and assumed he must have realized she was in the bed with him. Not more than a second later there was a mumbled ' _what the hell'_ as he pushed himself up.

She was expecting—hoping even—that he would get out of bed thinking she was still asleep, and she could pretend to wake up later with no knowledge of this ever happening. Instead she felt him grip her shoulder and shake her awake.

She blinked her eyes open, surprised at the sudden roughness. "What?!"

He was staring down at her, and she felt a little flutter in her stomach having him leaning over her like that.

"What happened last night?" he asked. "Why are we in the same bed?"

Maya sat up before she could get even more flustered and rubbed a hand over her face. "I don't know. We drank too much last night, that's for sure."

Phoenix looked thoughtful for a moment. "I bet this was Larry's doing. It was his party."

"But Larry knows we're not… together."

"Yeah, but Larry also thinks we're in love with each other. He's as bad as Pearls, really. I could see him putting us in the same room hoping something would happen." He paused and looked down at himself, then back up at her. "Well, the good news is we're both still dressed so his plan backfired."

"Nick!"

"What? I'm just saying. Drunk people do stupid things, Maya, so you never know."

She grabbed her pillow from behind her and chucked it at his face. "Even drunk me wouldn't want to do _that_ with _you_ ," she said, happy that he'd left his magatama at the office, because she was sure if he had it he'd see a couple of psyche-locks pop up around her. "But... I guess it's better you than some stranger."

"Or Larry. He might think we're in love but somehow that doesn't stop him from hitting on you all the time."

"Eew, Nick! I'd _never_ sleep with Larry. I'd take a stranger over him."

Phoenix laughed, but it was quickly replaced by a grimace, and he flopped back down onto his stomach. "Ah, I'm definitely hungover. Are you?"

"Yeah, a little. Not as bad as I should be, considering I can't remember much of last night."

"I guess we should get up, since we _are_ at someone else's apartment right now."

"I guess…"

"Or we could go back to sleep for just a few minutes," Phoenix mumbled.

Maya smiled. She could tell he was already half asleep again. She picked up her pillow from the spot at the end of the bed where it'd landed and laid back down beside him. By the time she'd situated herself properly, he was fast asleep again.

She supposed a few more minutes of sleep couldn't hurt… and she could pretend, for just a little while, that waking up next to him in the morning was a normal occurrence.


	46. Don't Scare Me Like That V2

Pairing: Franziska/Larry  
Prompt: Oh, my God, I thought you were going to die. Please don't ever scare me like that again.  
Word Count: 1,434

* * *

"It's done…"

Franziska looked up from her spot in the armchair across from him. "What?"

Larry set his paint supplies back down on the table and turned the canvas towards her. She was continuously shocked at how much he had improved since they began working on this book. The painting, while a bit cartoon-ish due to the fact that it was going to be a kid's book, looked just like her.

"The last page," Larry said. "Now I just need to write the story and start sending it off to be published." He smiled down at it, clearly proud of himself.

For once, Franziska was lost for words. She hadn't expected it to be over so quickly, and though she would never admit it, she had actually enjoyed the company over the last few weeks. She was usually very much a lone wolf, spending her time at home alone reading or working. Having Larry over every few days to work on this book—something she only agreed to so she could be sure it would be up to her standards—had been surprisingly enjoyable.

"There's nothing left? Are you sure?" she asked, leaning forward slightly.

Larry looked up at her again, eyebrows raised. "Nope. I thought you'd be happy, you've only told me every time I've come here not to get comfortable because as soon as we were done I'd be out of here."

Franziska crossed her arms. "Yes, well, I just want to be sure this book is _perfect_. You're using my image, after all."

Larry grinned. "Just admit you like having me here! I'm not as terrible of a guy as you thought, am I?"

"That's not it at all," Franziska said, keeping her eyes focused on a picture on the wall.

"It is so!"

She reached for her whip, wrapping her hand around it as a warning. "It is not!"

Larry raised his hands. "Fine, whatever." He started to gather up his things. "I don't know what your problem is, you know? You can be such a…"

"Such a _what_?"

"Nothing," he said, looking down at the coffee table as he stuffed his things into his bag. "I'll be leaving in a few minutes, don't worry."

She was silent as she watched him pack up. She knew what he'd wanted to call her. _Bitch._ She'd heard it a thousand times before, both from people talking about her behind her back, and from people who weren't afraid to say it to her face. She didn't care though. If being an assertive, dominant woman meant she was a bitch, then so be it.

But he hadn't actually said it. Maybe he'd wanted to, but he'd stopped himself before uttering it. That counted for something, at least.

She cleared her throat awkwardly, pushing aside her pride for once in her life. "I'm sorry, Larry Butz. I suppose your company these past few weeks hasn't been completely unpleasant."

Larry looked rather pleased, knowing that was as close to complimenting him as Franziska would probably ever come. "I'm glad you could admit it."

"Don't push it," she growled.

He chuckled to himself, shaking his head as he slipped the last of his paintbrushes back into his bag. "You're still leaving?" Franziska asked.

"Well, you didn't say I could stay."

She opened her mouth to respond when there was a crash from upstairs. Larry looked startled, but Franziska had already jumped out of her chair, her whip in hand. Larry looked at her. "You don't have a cat, do you?"

"No, I do not."

"What was that?"

They were both silent, listening for anymore noise. It was mostly quiet, except for the sound of heavy footsteps walking across the upstairs floor. "Someone's up there," Larry whispered. "You don't have an alarm system in a place like this?!" he said, gesturing to his general surroundings. Franziska lived in an old mansion on the expensive side of town. It was a beautiful home. Even though it was old, he would have thought there'd be a security system in place.

"No, we never had one installed. My father always said no one would dare break into the home of a Von Karma."

Larry rolled his eyes. "Well someone is up there. Do you have any weapons besides that whip?"

"The whip is all I need," Franziska said, starting to walk towards the stairs.

Larry jumped from his seat. "What are you doing? You can't go up there alone!"

"Well, you're welcome to come, but I won't sit down here idle when someone has dared to break into my home."

Larry grumbled, but he knew this was an argument he wouldn't win. He grabbed a fire poker from beside the fireplace in the room and brandished it, catching a look of amusement on Franziska's face. He ignored her and slid past her, insisting on going up the stairs first.

They were relatively quiet, but each creak of the old stairs and floorboards set them on edge. Whoever was upstairs was making too much noise themselves to hear them though; they clearly thought they were alone.

Larry gestured for Franziska to stay put as he leaned around a corner. She rolled her eyes, but if he wanted to try and play hero then fine, she'd let him.

She watched him creep around the corner, and stepped forward to watch him go. There was a room ahead of them with an open door, and inside was a man dressed in black, digging through a dresser for valuables.

Franziska jumped when Larry screamed, raising the fire poker above his head. The burglar turned around at the noise, just in time to move out of the way of the fire poker as Larry swung it down. It smashed into the dresser, the hook on the end getting stuck in the wood. Larry yanked on it, but it wouldn't come out.

Franziska sighed to herself. The burglar actually laughed, reaching for something at his waistband. She hadn't been scared before that, but he was clearly reaching for a weapon now.

She watched him pull a gun from his waistband and start to point it towards Larry, who was still clumsily attempting to pull the poker from the wood of the dresser.

Franziska stepped forward, unfurling her whip and flicking it towards the burglar lightning fast, catching him off guard. It snapped against his wrist, wrapping around it, and Franziska jerked it taught, causing the gun in his hands to go flying.

"Grab that, would you, Larry?" she said.

Larry scrambled onto the floor to grab the gun, finally finding it and training it on the burglar. Franziska kept her whip tight, and took a step forward, bringing her heeled boot up to kick the burglar in the shin. He fell to his knees in pain, and she used the whip to pull his hands behind his back. She used the whip to tie his hands together.

"Now, we should call the police," she said as she stood up.

Larry just nodded dumbly, staring at her almost in awe.

* * *

An hour later after the police had come and taken statements and taken the burglar away, Franziska and Larry were left alone once again. It was a sort of awkward silence as they went back to the living area where Larry had dropped his bag of painting supplies.

"I guess I'll just… grab this and go," he said. "Thanks for… not letting that guy shoot me."

Franziska stood in the doorway, a hand on her hip. Suddenly she walked towards him, stopping only a few inches away. He was taller than her, but with her heels on she was _almost_ equal in height.

"I thought you were going to die. Don't ever scare me like that again," she growled.

Franziska had already moved away from him by the time he'd managed to process what she'd said. She was actually _scared_ for his life? He found himself grinning as he watched her walk back over to her seat.

"You _do_ care, Franzy!"

Franziska turned her face away. "Hmph. It's only natural I would, isn't it? After all this time we've spent together these past few months? I'm not heartless, you know."

"I know. Anyway, I really should get going now," he said, bending to pick up his bag.

Franziska nodded curtly, looking back towards him. "If you would like… you're welcome to come back next week."

"But the book is finished."

"I know."

Larry smiled. "Okay, great… I'll see you next week then."

Franziska nodded again, crossing one leg over the other as she watched him head out.


	47. Did I Mean Nothing to You?

Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: Did I really mean nothing to you?  
Word Count: 1,216

* * *

Maya flinches when her phone rings yet again. She knows who it is, after all she doesn't have very many friends. Who else would it be but him?

She waits impatiently for the ringing to stop. When it finally does, she picks up her phone from its spot on her bedside table and looks at the screen. Sure enough, there's one missed call from 'Nick', and another voicemail too.

She sighs and opens his contact information, ignoring the urge to hit the call button. Instead she stares at the picture she has set for his contact information—a picture she'd taken of him asleep at his desk months ago—but she has to look away after a few seconds. It hurts her heart too much.

A text message comes through a minute later, a simple ' _Maya, I'm worried, at least let me know you're okay_ '.

She wishes she could but she knows if she talks to him now she'll want to see him. She won't even listen to the voicemails he leaves anymore because hearing his voice is too much, and she knows he'll only sound upset. She doesn't want to hear the hurt she knows will be there in his voice, asking yet again why she's not answering him, if she's okay, if she needs his help, or any of the other things he'd said in the few voicemails she _did_ listen to when he first started calling.

She deletes the message and the text and sets her phone back on the table, then buries herself back under her covers. She's not in the mood for training today, she just wants to stay in bed.

* * *

She doesn't hear from him again for a few days. She thinks maybe he's finally taken the hint, that finally he'll stop trying to get in touch with her. In a way she's relieved, but at the same time the idea that he's finally given up makes her even more depressed. He probably thinks she hates him, but has no idea what he did wrong.

She's on her way back from the training waterfalls a few days after the last message he left when an acolyte approaches her, out of breath and pointing down the path. "Mystic Maya, someone is at the gate asking for you. The Elders are trying to make him leave but he's refusing. Would you like us to call the police?"

Maya blinks. If it's a man at the gate, refusing to leave before he sees her, there's only one person it can be. "No," she says. "I'll see him. Run and tell the Elders to leave him alone, I'll be there soon."

The acolyte nods and runs off, but Maya isn't too far behind. Knowing he's here makes the urge to see him overpowering. If she was smart she would tell the Elders to call the police, to get rid of him and make sure he knows not to come back, but she can't do it. He's here and she needs to see him.

When she makes it to the gate she spots him immediately, still standing on the other side of the wrought-iron bars, scowling at the Elder who's telling him to leave. The acolyte Maya had spoken to is urging the Elder to stop, that Mystic Maya wants to speak to him.

"Nick!"

His name bursts from her lips before she can stop herself, and everyone turns to look her way. The Elder steps in front of her to block her from him. "Mystic Maya, stop this. You must not speak to him!"

Maya pushes her way past. "I'm the future Master here, I'll speak to him if I want to. Now open the gate."

The Elder grumbles but sees it done, and as soon as the gate is open wide enough for him to fit, Phoenix is through it and gathering Maya into his arms.

"Maya," he breathes. "You're okay."

She hugs him back, tears already slipping down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Nick," she says. "I'm so sorry."

He pulls back, eyebrows furrowed. "What? What are you sorry for?"

"Come with me," she says. "I'll explain everything."

She takes his hand and turns. "Leave us alone," she says. "Make sure we're not disturbed."

"Mystic Maya—"

Maya flashes the Elder a glare. "I said, leave us alone."

With that she pulls Phoenix by the hand, leading him down the pathway towards Fey Manor.

* * *

Maya is glad that Pearl is off doing her own training for the day, so they have the manor to themselves. Phoenix is quiet as he waits for Maya to initiate the conversation. She knows he's confused. He'd assumed that she'd been in some sort of trouble, and seeing her fine and unharmed, while relieving, is also confusing.

She leads him to the sitting area and sits down on one of the couches, gesturing for him to join her. When he does, she takes a deep breath.

"Nick, it's my fault you haven't heard from me."

He looks even more confused. "Why, Maya? Do you know how worried I was? Why would you just ignore all of my calls?"

"I know you were worried, and I'm so sorry, but I realized… after you were disbarred, I couldn't talk to you anymore."

He flinches at her words, and Maya feels _terrible_ about them. "What do you mean?" he says, his voice hardly more than a whisper. "Maya… I thought you of all people would be the one who would understand, the one who wouldn't abandon me. You know I didn't do it, right?"

Another tear slips down her cheek. "I'm sorry, Nick. The Elders—"

"Did I really mean nothing to you?" he says. "After everything we've been through? You're going to let them decide how your life is going to go?"

"No, Nick," she says. "That's not it at all." She reaches over to take his hand. "You mean _everything_ to me," she says. "If I could, I would leave this place. I'd leave it behind in an instant if it meant I could… be with you." She sighs. "But this isn't just about me and you."

"Who else is there, Maya?"

"Pearly," she says. "If I step down, she's next in line. They'll force her into becoming the Master, and I don't want that for her. She's only ten years old. She needs to just be a kid."

Phoenix shakes his head. "Why don't you both leave, Maya? I know Kurain Village is important to you, but is it more important than your happiness?"

She swallows. "It's… our legacy. I can't just abandon it."

"I don't want to tell you what to do," he says. "But just remember that Wright and Co. Law Office used to be _Fey_ and Co. Law Office. As far as I'm concerned the office is as much yours as it is mine. You always have _that_ path to take instead. The path your sister chose." He stands up. "I'll leave now, and I won't contact you again. But my door is always open if you change your mind."

She watches him leave the room, hears the front door close and his footsteps fade away, then puts her face in her hands and cries, feeling like she's made the biggest mistake of her life.


	48. Hiding the Truth

**Pairing: Phoenix/Franziska  
Prompt: Hiding the Truth  
Word Count: 762**

* * *

The moment Miles had told her about her old rival's unlucky turn of events, Franziska had booked a flight back to America. Miles had warned her not to bother him, that she should leave him alone, but how can she? This is simply unforgivable, and she will give Phoenix Wright a piece of her mind.

Her plane lands in Los Angeles around 8pm, but it takes her almost an hour to make it through the airport, find her luggage, and then find the driver she'd hired earlier outside the airport. He asks if she'll be heading straight to Miles's apartment, but she tells him to go to the Wright & Co. Law Office right instead. It's nearing 10pm already, but in her mind, this cannot wait.

She's never been to Phoenix's office before, so she's not quite sure what to expect. The driver pulls up to a nondescript building with maybe ten stories, and she tells him to wait while she goes inside. The sign outside indicates that the office is on the second floor, so she takes the stairs and starts to head down the hallway.

Finally she comes a door with some tape over the previous name. The "& Co. Law Offices" part of the name has been covered with masking tape, and the words "Talent Agency", written in what looks like a child's handwriting, have replaced it. Wright Talent Agency? She has no idea what that means, and doesn't really care. She knows she has the right place, so she lifts her hand and bangs on the door.

It takes a few minutes, but finally the door cracks open, and when the person on the other side sees who it is, she can hear the sliding and clicking of locks unlocking before its pulled open, and Phoenix Wright stands before her, looking more confused than he ever did when she went up against him in court.

"Franziska? What are you doing here?" he asked, giving her a cursory glance over.

The first thing that strikes her is how different he looks. Unshaven, wearing a baggy sweater and sweat pants, a piece of flyaway hair hanging in front of his forehead. And he looks older, too. Has it really only been a year since she last saw him? It seems like so much longer.

"What do you think I'm doing here, Phoenix Wright?" she asks, putting her hands on her hips. "Miles informed me that you've been disbarred."

Phoenix furrows his eyebrows. "Oh. You didn't know before?"

"You never bothered to tell me," she says. "You informed all of your other friends, it seems."

Phoenix blinks. "No offense, Franziska, but since when did you consider me a friend?"

She frowns. "If not a friend, a close enough ally that I was deserving of knowing just as much as anyone else! How do you think this makes _me_ look, anyway?"

"This has nothing to do with you…"

"If you forged evidence, it means that I lost cases against a corrupt defense attorney! I should have been able to beat you if you were too incompetent to win on your own!"

"Keep your voice down," he snaps. "You do realize it's 10 o'clock at night, right? You can't just show up at my apartment and start yelling at me, especially when you have the facts all wrong!"

"I can and I will, Phoenix Wright!"

"Daddy?"

Franziska stops and looks down, surprise evident on her face. A little girl dressed in pajamas is peering up at her from behind Phoenix's legs.

"Who is this mean lady? Why is she yelling at you?" the child asks, stepping in front of Phoenix and frowning up at Franziska, her hands on her hips.

Phoenix sets his hand on her head. "I'm okay, Trucy, this is just… an old _friend_ of mine," he says, glancing up at Franziska.

Trucy squints up at Franziska, then smiles. "She's pretty! Is she going to be my new mommy?"

Franziska blanches, and Phoenix simply gives Trucy a gentle push back the way she came. "You can go back to bed, thanks for checking on me," he says hurriedly.

"Okay, goodnight Daddy!" Trucy says before heading back down the hall to her bedroom.

"Sorry about that," Phoenix says, rubbing the back of his neck. If Franziska didn't know any better she could almost swear he's blushes.

She clears her throat and raises her eyes to Phoenix. "Did she call you _daddy_?"

Phoenix sighs, swiping a hand through his hair. "Why don't you come in, Franziska? I guess I have a lot to tell you."


	49. Blood on My Hands

**Pairing: Phoenix/Maya (?)**  
 **Prompt: I have blood on my hands I'll never be able to wash off.**  
 **Word Count: 1,195**

* * *

Edgeworth wrapped his scarf a little tighter around his neck. He wasn't used to this cold New York City weather at all, and silently cursed his old friend for running off the other side of the country. The streets were busy as they always were in the city, and he had to weave in and out of foot traffic, passing by street vendors and people trying to shove pamphlets into his hands as he walked by.

He turned off the main road onto a smaller one and the throngs of people thinned out quite a bit. He had the route to the little bar memorized by now. It was smack dab in the middle of the city, but every time Edgeworth visited, it was decidedly not busy. It was a quiet place, which made it easy to talk, and he never had to worry about someone overhearing who shouldn't.

Eventually he turned up at the bar and stepped inside. It was dimly lit and a little dingy, but it was warm and he could hear faint Christmas music playing over the radio. He took a seat at the bar and ordered two drinks. The bartender raised an eyebrow.

"I'm waiting for someone," Edgeworth told him. The bartender nodded and left him alone to sip at his drink.

He never knew how long Phoenix would be. This was simply a tradition now; they never made plans or spoke before meeting here on the same day every year. He never truly knew whether or not Phoenix would even show up, and Edgeworth no longer had any way to contact him. Phoenix always refused to tell him where exactly he was staying, and wouldn't even give him a phone number.

He sat there for close to an hour, nursing his drink, before the door opened again. Edgeworth didn't turn to see who it was, but a few seconds later a man was taking a seat on the barstool beside him.

Edgeworth did turn his head then, and sure enough Phoenix Wright was reaching for the now warm drink still sitting on the bar waiting for him. He took a sip before setting it back down, then turned to Edgeworth and smiled.

"It's good to see you again," he said.

Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. "Indeed, Wright. How have you been?"

Phoenix couldn't keep the smile up for long. "Fine, I guess. You?"

"I've been well," he said.

"Still Chief Prosecutor?"

"Yes."

Phoenix nodded. Edgeworth was sure he didn't know what to say. They weren't as close as they used to be, and nowadays they didn't have much in common, especially with Phoenix being as secretive as he was. Edgeworth only turned up to these meetings to make sure his friend was still alive, and though Phoenix would never admit it outright, there was one simple reason he always showed up to these meetings, too.

"Just ask me, Wright," he said. "I know you want to know."

Phoenix swallowed, keeping his eyes trained on his drink as he swirled the liquid around the glass. "How is she?" he murmured.

"She's doing relatively well, considering," Edgeworth said, knowing already who Phoenix was referring to. There was only one woman back in Los Angeles that Phoenix had any interest in knowing the wellbeing of. Maya Fey. Despite the years that had gone by, Maya still spoke to Edgeworth often. In a way, Edgeworth had always felt that with Phoenix's disappearance, Maya had replaced her best friend with him instead. But he knew he could never live up to Phoenix's importance in her life.

Phoenix smiled. "Good."

"She still misses you though," Edgeworth said. "She still asks about you."

Phoenix sighed. "She needs to just forget about me. How has she not? It's been years."

"I could ask the same of you, Wright. You ask about her every year."

"It's… _different_ for me," he said. "I have blood on my hands that I'll never be able to wash off. I think about what I did to Adrian every day, which in turn makes me think about Maya every day. But Maya is innocent in all this, she needs to move on with her life."

"It's not that different," Edgeworth said. "Maya might be innocent in this but that's not how she views it. She knows exactly what you did for her, and she thinks about it just as often as you do, but with the added pain of you being gone. She thinks it's all her fault. It's her fault you were forced to accuse an innocent woman of murder, making it her fault that you felt the need to quit your job and run away. She's _tried_ to move on, Wright, but it's not that easy. If you would just come back, just to visit her, to talk, I think it would help both of you."

Phoenix shook his head. "No. I can't, Edgeworth. She's better off without me there. I'd only bring her more heartache."

"At least let me give you her number, in case you ever want to contact her."

"No," Phoenix said again. "It'd just be too tempting. Keep it to yourself. And take care of her for me."

Edgeworth sighed and signalled to the bartender to order two more drinks. There was no point pushing it.

* * *

The night didn't last much longer after that, as they didn't have much to talk about. Edgeworth's life hadn't changed much, and Phoenix was too secretive to give much away. They stayed at the bar for another hour or so while they finished their drinks, then finally bid each other goodbye. This time, neither of them indicated that they'd see the other next year, and Edgeworth had to wonder if that was a sign that this would be the last time he'd see his old friend.

After they said their goodbyes and left the bar, they went their opposite ways. Edgeworth had a hotel room booked in the touristy part of town, and Phoenix wandered off down the street, disappearing into the crowds of people.

Once back at the hotel, Edgeworth fished out his phone. It was close to 10pm in New York, so he knew that back in L.A. it was only around 7, and she would be waiting for his call.

He dialled in her number and waited. Maya answered after two rings.

"He said no," Edgeworth told her. "He won't come back, and he refused to take your number. He wants you to try and move on from all this."

There was a deep sigh on the other end. "I can't… but thank you for trying, Mr. Edgeworth. At least I know he's okay."

"I'm sorry, Maya."

"It's alright," she said, but Edgeworth knew it was anything but.

There was a click on the other end, and he realized that she'd hung up. He set his phone down on the nightstand and got up to get ready for bed. He had a flight to catch early in the morning, and he had a feeling he should visit with Maya once he returned to California.

Phoenix wanted him to take care of her, and he would, for her sake.


	50. You're Weak

**Pairing: Larry/Franziska  
Prompt: You're weak  
Word Count: 843**

* * *

Franziska was fuming, and Larry had no idea why. They'd just arrived back at their hotel after visiting Franziska's sister and her family, and Larry had been on his absolute best behaviour the whole night. He wasn't stupid; he knew how far out of his league Franziska was, and he also knew how nervous she was about introducing him to her family for that exact reason, even if she wouldn't say it to his face. The last thing he'd wanted to do was give her any reason to be embarrassed of him or get mad at him. And yet, she was stomping around the hotel room as she got ready for bed, mumbling to herself and throwing him a dirty look every now and then.

Larry busied himself with looking through the room service menu, hoping that if he stayed quiet she would calm down eventually, though he couldn't help looking up as she shed her clothes to slip into a silky nightgown. He was only a man after all, and Franziska was beautiful.

She caught his eye as he stared at her. "What are you looking at?" she snapped.

"Sorry babe, you know I can't resist," he said.

Franziska simply scowled. "Are you going to order something? I'm going to bed soon so if you are, make it quick."

"Er, no, I'm not that hungry. Dinner at your sister's was good enough. Um… Franzy?"

She had already turned away from him to pull back the covers on the queen sized bed. "What?"

"Is there something wrong?"

"What do you think?"

"I… I'm not sure how you want me to answer that."

She crawled into bed and fluffed her pillows up, setting them up against the headboard so she could lean against them. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him, frowning. "You're _weak_ , Larry," she said.

He blinked. "I mean I know I could maybe work out more but—"

"I don't mean physically," she interrupted. "I'm talking about tonight, with my sister!"

"What? What are you talking about, Franzy?"

"Don't you _Franzy_ me. You can't resist a beautiful woman, even if you're already _in_ a relationship. You spent the entire night flirting with my own _sister_ , right in front of me!"

Larry stood up from his chair. He was a lot of things, but a cheater was not one of them. "What?! Franziska, I was not flirting with your sister."

She turned her face away. "Hmph. Gisela has always gotten more attention than me. She was always the pretty one, the smart one, the one my father always praised, despite how hard I tried to live up to his expectations. I was always second best. I thought that'd be different with you."

He approached the bed gingerly. Franziska glared at him, but didn't stop him when he took a seat on the edge of the bed beside her. "Franziska, trust me, I wasn't flirting with your sister. I was just being friendly, I can't help it if that's how it comes across. I just wanted her to like me because I know it was hard for you to introduce me to her. I'm so low class and your family is so… perfect. I didn't want you to be embarrassed of me."

Franziska's eyes softened. "Oh…"

He kicked his shoes off so he could crawl closer to her on the bed. "Franziska, you're the smartest and most beautiful woman I know. Your sister didn't even compare."

She finally graced him with a smile. "Thanks…"

"It might have helped if you'd told me about this stuff with your sister sooner, you know."

"I know," she said, looking down at the blankets covering her legs. Larry understood her reluctance to do so. Even though he did his best to reassure her that she didn't need to be 'perfect' for him, she still tried to be. Her perfectionism was ingrained into her by her father, he knew that all too well, and she couldn't just lose that part of herself so easily. It would take time, and she was working on it.

"At least I know now," he said, brushing a piece of her hair away from her face. "And hey, we had our dinner and I met your family. We don't even have to go back there if you don't want to. We can just enjoy the trip! I've actually never been out of the States, so it's kind of amazing to be in Germany, so far from home. I'm a lucky guy. Maybe I'll get some inspiration for another book."

"You know, I consider myself lucky too," she said quietly.

"Hm?"

Franziska moved over, pressing herself in beneath his arm to rest against his chest. "I'm lucky to have you. And I'm not embarrassed of you."

Larry felt his heart swell at her words. "Thanks, Franzy."

"Mm. Tomorrow I'll show you some of my favourite places to go as a girl. It's beautiful here, so I want to show you where I grew up."

He squeezed her shoulders. "That sounds great."


	51. They're Wrong

**Pairing: Phoenix/Maya  
Prompt: "Not everyone is going to think I'm pretty." "They're wrong." Based on a post from the incorrect-narumayo-quotes Tumblr!  
Word Count: 779**

* * *

"What do you think of this, Nick?"

Phoenix watched as Maya twirled in front of him, the dark blue dress she was wearing circling around her legs, long and flowing. A price tag still swung from beneath her arm, though he couldn't see the number on it. He wasn't sure he wanted to.

"It looks fine, Maya," he said.

Maya puffed her cheeks out. "You say that about everything I try on. Does it actually look _good?_ " she said, turning to glance at herself in the mirror hanging on the wall behind her.

"Yeah, I suppose it's good enough. We're only going to Edgeworth's."

He felt a rather strong punch on his arm, and looked down with eyebrows furrowed at Pearl, sitting on the bench beside him. He'd almost forgotten she was with them, she was being so quiet.

She was frowning up at him. "Mr. Nick, you're supposed to tell your special someone that she looks absolutely beautiful!" Pearl said, looking over at Maya. She practically had stars in her eyes. "You do, Mystic Maya! You look like a princess!"

Maya smiled. "Thanks, Pearly."

There was some quiet laughter behind them, and Phoenix saw Maya look up and over his head at whoever was behind them. He heard a boy's voice, probably a teenager. "Isn't lying _wrong_ though?" he said to his friend, not trying to lower his voice at all.

His friend simply snickered, and Phoenix watched as Maya's face fell. An embarrassed blush rose to her cheeks as she turned around. "I'll go change back," she murmured, heading back into the changing room stall.

Phoenix turned on the bench to look over at the two boys. They were still idling around the men's section, laughing to themselves. One of them glanced towards the changing rooms again, and seemed to notice Phoenix staring at him.

Pearl looked over at them as well, and then stood up on the bench. She pointed at the boys. "Hey! You two meanies!"

The boys looked their way again, eyebrows raised. Pearl rolled up her sleeve once she knew she had their attention. "You better come apologize to Mystic Maya!"

The boys looked at each other and laughed. They didn't even acknowledge her.

Phoenix smiled at Pearl. "It's alright, Pearls. Sit down. You know that people who say mean things about others are just self conscious themselves, right? I mean, I know when I was an early teen with a squeaky voice and the barely there hint of facial hair that just looked like dirt smudged on my face because my dad never taught me to shave properly, I was pretty self-conscious too."

Pearl was staring at him, not understanding most of what he was saying, but the boys across the room understood. The one with the squeaky voice mumbled something angrily, and Phoenix could've sworn he pitched his voice lower on purpose. The other rubbed at his face where the hint of a beard was starting to show.

"Let's go," the squeaky voiced one said. The other nodded, and together they trudged out of the store without another glance back.

Phoenix turned back in his seat to wait again for Maya. She was taking an awfully long time getting changed.

"You okay in there, Maya?" he called.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. I'm coming out now," she said.

She opened the door and stepped out, and right away Phoenix could tell she'd been crying. She was dressed back in her Master's robes, the blue dress slung over an arm. Pearl started to get up to comfort her, but Phoenix was quicker.

He took the dress from her arms first. "You should buy this one. It was by far the nicest one you've tried today."

Maya smiled gratefully. "Those boys didn't seem to think so."

"Maya, they were just little jerks, probably not even in tenth grade yet. They don't know anything."

"It's okay, Nick. Not everyone is going to think I'm pretty. I just have to get used to that."

"Well… those people are wrong," he said. "You _are_ pretty. Really pretty, actually. Anyone could see that."

Maya looked up at him, surprise evident on her face. Then she smiled, and this time the blush on her cheeks wasn't an embarrassed one. "Thanks, Nick."

Phoenix tried to ignore how Pearl was bouncing excitedly beside him, her hands over her face as she listened to him. Instead he took Maya by the hand, which he was sure would just make Pearl even more excited. "Let's go pay for this. You'll look great at Edgeworth's Christmas party."

"Okay," Maya said, her fingers tightening around his as she followed him to the cash registers.


End file.
